No brotherly love as Ralf sets the pace

Germany’s Ralf Schumacher scorched to his third pole position in four races at the French Grand Prix in Magny-Cours today.

The 28-year-old finished 0.1 seconds ahead of Williams-BMW team-mate Juan Pablo Montoya to claim the fourth top spot of his career.

Reigning champion Michael Schumacher had to settle for third place in his Ferrari almost half a second slower than his brother who triumphed in the race in Germany last Sunday.

Schumacher senior finished just ahead of McLaren’s Kimi Raikkonen who he leads by seven points heading into tomorrow’s race, the 10th grand prix of the 16-round season.

David Coulthard produced a much better qualifying display after being told to stop thinking and start driving by his McLaren team to finish fifth fastest just fractions slower than Raikkonen.

Schumacher junior had a long wait before his pole was confirmed with all the championship contenders going out early after yesterday’s rain-hit first qualifying session had shaken up today’s running order.

It inevitably made today’s battle for grid placings somewhat an anti-climax with the likes of Minardi’s Jos Verstappen and Justin Wilson and Jordan’s Ralph Firman unable to repeat yesterday’s heroics when they finished in the top three.

The trio filled the bottom three places on the grid today with Firman starting tomorrow’s 70-lap battle in 18th spot while Verstappen – seven seconds faster than Schumacher in the rain – was nearly four seconds slower in the dry.

Wilson, who later lost his second place because his car was underweight, had to go out first in the single-lap qualifying session and wound up bottom of the time-sheets.

Schumacher who will now go into the race full of confidence and looking to further reduce his 15-point deficit to his brother, whose Ferrari team are clearly at a disadvantage on their Bridgestone tyres compared to the Michelin-shod Williams and McLarens.