Ralf takes pole

Ralf Schumacher will start Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix from pole position, the German driver delivering his Toyota team only their second start at the front of the grid and doing so in their home race.

Sat, 08 Oct, 2005 - 10:20

Schumacher recorded a time of one minute 46.106 seconds to qualify ahead of Britain’s Jenson Button in the BAR Honda while Renault’s Giancarlo Fisichella will be on the second row alongside Red Bull driver Christian Klien.

Rain dogged the end of the session, with the final four drivers – Michael Schumacher, newly-crowned world champion Fernando Alonso, Kimi Raikkonen and Juan Pablo Montoya – all hit by a fresh downpour that reduced speeds considerably.

The McLarens were particularly badly hit, with Montoya failing to finish his lap while Raikkonen posted the slowest time of those who finished. That leaves Montoya in last place on the grid while the Finn will be in 17th position after posting the day’s slowest time.

Alonso, who clinched the title in Brazil, will start in 16th position as Renault seek to win the constructors’ title ahead of McLaren, who currently lead the standings by two points with just two races to go.

Toyota’s last pole position came in Indianapolis at the controversy-riddled United States Grand Prix while Schumacher – who clinched his sixth pole position - will start at the front of the grid for the first time since Canada last year.

David Coulthard was first out and his solid early mark, despite the wet track, kept the Scot at the top of the standings for much of the session.

Coulthard completed his flying lap around the 5.807-kilometre Suzuka circuit in 1:46.892 seconds, a time that eventually kept the Red Bull driver sixth on the grid.

Coulthard’s mark was only bettered by Takuma Sato, the 11th driver out and racing in his home grand prix, as the BAR Honda man ducked just 0.051 seconds under the day’s previous best. Sato will start the race in fifth place, alongside Coulthard.

Klien then bypssed his Red Bull team-mate before Ralf Schumacher posted the session’s fastest time and Button was the last of the drivers to avoid the rain as he finished marginally slower than Schumacher.

It was another disappointing day for Ferrari, with Rubens Barrichello qualifying ninth while former world champion Michael Schumacher was forced to endure heavy rain, resulting in a time that leaves him in 14th place on the grid.

Final positions after qualifying:

1 Ralf Schumacher (Ger) Toyota 1min 46.106secs,

2 Jenson Button (Gbr) BAR 1:46.141,

3 Giancarlo Fisichella (Ita) Renault 1:46.276,

4 Christian Klien (Aut) Red Bull 1:46.464,

5 Takuma Sato (Jpn) BAR 1:46.841,

6 David Coulthard (Gbr) Red Bull 1:46.892,

7 Mark Webber (Aus) Williams 1:47.233,

8 Jacques Villeneuve (Can) Sauber 1:47.440,

9 Rubens Barrichello (Bra) Ferrari 1:48.248,

10 Felipe Massa (Bra) Sauber 1:48.278,

11 Narain Karthikeyan (Ind) Jordan 1:48.718,