Barcelona, May 03: World champion Michael Schumacher gave Ferrari's new car a pace-setting debut in first qualifying on Friday for the Spanish Formula One Grand Prix. Michael Schumacher drove the F2003-GA around the Circuit de Catalunya on Friday (May 2) in one minute 17.130 seconds to allow him to run last in Saturday's qualifying session. But Italian Jarno Trulli almost stole the five-times world champion's thunder with the second best time for Renault, crossing the line just 0.019 of a second off Schumacher's best lap time. Brazilian Rubens Barrichello, driving the second Ferrari, was third quickest in the single lap session that dictates the start order for Saturday's decisive shootout when strategy as much as speed comes into play. While Ferrari remained the front row favourites, Friday's qualifying was as much about some remarkable performances from lower ranked teams. Toyota, Renault, Jaguar and BAR stood out.


Brazilian Cristiano da Matta, the 2002 CART champion who is one of four Formula One rookies, put Toyota in the thick of things with the fourth best time at the first circuit this season that he is truly familiar with.


Briton Jenson Button was well ahead of his BAR team mate Jacques Villeneuve as he claimed the fifth fastest lap ahead of Frenchman Olivier Panis in a Toyota and Australian Mark Webber for Jaguar.


Webber's Brazilian team mate Antonio Pizzonia, fighting for his future after poor qualifying performances, could only manage the 13th-quickest time. It is understood negotiations have been taking place which could see Pizzonia replaced by Austria's Alexander Wurz in time for the Austrian Grand Prix.


World championship leader Kimi Raikkonen was eighth in a disappointing afternoon for McLaren, with his team mate David Coulthard ninth.


Spanish fans saw their new hope Fernando Alonso, in the other Renault car, set a tenth fastest time, while the eventual winner of the Brazilian Grand Prix Giancarlo Fisichella was 15th.


Williams also struggled to match the pace, Ralf Schumacher lying only 11th after making a mistake and Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya languishing in 14th.


Times in Friday's first qualifying for Sunday's Spanish Formula One Grand Prix: 1. Michael Schumacher (Germany) Ferrari one minute 17.130 seconds. 2. Jarno Trulli (Italy) Renault 1:17.149 3. Rubens Barrichello (Brazil) Ferrari 1:17.218 4. Cristiano Da Matta (Brazil) Toyota 1:17.443 5. Jenson Button (Britain) BAR 1:17.613 6. Olivier Panis (France) Toyota 1:17.746 7. Mark Webber (Australia) Jaguar 1:17.793 8. Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) McLaren 1:17.862 9. David Coulthard (Britain) McLaren 1:18.060 10. Fernando Alonso (Spain) Renault 1:18.100 11. Ralf Schumacher (Germany) Williams 1:18.409 12. Jacques Villeneuve (Canada) BAR 1:18.461 13. Antonio Pizzonia (Brazil) Jaguar 1:18.528 14. Juan Pablo Montoya (Colombia) Williams 1:18.607 15. Giancarlo Fisichella (Italy) Jordan 1:18.879 16. Heinz-Harald Frentzen (Germany) Sauber 1:18.909 17. Nick Heidfeld (Germany) Sauber 1:19.050 18. Ralph Firman (Britain) Jordan 1:19.195 19. Jos Verstappen (Netherlands) Minardi 1:20.822 20. Justin Wilson (Britain) Minardi 1:21.100


Bureau Report