Ferrari dominate Australian Grand Prix grid

Julian Linden

Michael Schumacher seized pole position for the season-opening Australian Formula One Grand Prix on Saturday as champions Ferrari filled the front row of the grid.

The German triple World champion showed no side effects of his high-speed crash in free practice on Friday and charged around the Melbourne street circuit in a record time of one minute 26.892 seconds.

His Brazilian team mate Rubens Barrichello was second fastest in a time of 1:27.263.

It was the 33rd pole of Schumacher's career and his first in Australia in 11 attempts. The German won last year's race for the first time en route to claim his third drivers title.

"We know that the car is fast. Now we have to show it's reliable. We can do that tomorrow," Schumacher said.

He offered thanks "to my mechanics who had a very late night, or early morning, due to my little problem of yesterday.

"They had to repair and work very hard overnight and that gave me a fantastic car again to work with and to qualify first. Great job."

Mika Hakkinen clocked the third fastest time of 1:27.461 for McLaren after starting the Melbourne race from pole position in the previous three years. The Finn won from pole in 1998 but his McLaren broke down in 1999 and 2000.

Hakkinen confident

"To be honest I'm not too concerned about the situation," Hakkinen said. "In the last couple of years I have been on pole here by quite a big margin and you all know what has happened in the race.

"I definitely didn't get the best out of the car...but I'm confident we can get a consistent car for the race, and a quick car."

Germany's Heinz-Harald Frentzen was fourth in the improved Jordan ahead of Ralf Schumacher's Williams and Hakkinen's teammate David Coulthard -- an outcome that saw four constructors occupy the first three rows.

The session was stopped for 10 minutes when Luciano Burti was involved in a heavy crash 12 minutes from the scheduled finish.

The Brazilian walked away uninjured after smashing his Jaguar into a concrete wall but stewards ordered the session to be halted because of the debris on the track.

Minardi's Tarso Marques was the only driver not to qualify. The Brazilian missed out because his best time of 1:33.228 was more than 107 per cent outside Schumacher's pole time.

Schumacher was already on pole midway through the first session when he posted a lap time of 1:27.516 before Barrichello pipped him by one one-thousandth of a second, the smallest possible margin in Formula One.

But the German returned to the track to reclaim the pole with his record lap and although Barrichello improved his time again he was unable to beat Schumacher.

"The car is perfectly well and it suits me better than last year's car for sure. I'm feeling really good," said Barrichello, runner-up to his team mate at last year's Australian GP. "When you dominate like that you feel confident for the next day."

Montoya fastest debutant

Enrique Bernoldi of Brazil, one of four debutants in the race, was the first driver onto the track but was quickly overtaken by Canada's former world champion Jacques Villeneuve.

Hakkinen, runner-up to Schumacher in last year's drivers world championship, briefly replaced Villeneuve at the top but then ceded the lead to the two scarlet Ferraris.

Bernoldi finished 18th overall for Arrows, one place ahead of another Minardi newcomer Fernando Alonso.

Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya was the highest placed of the debutants, qualifying 11th in a Williams, while Finn Kimi Raikkonen was 13th in a Sauber.

Briton Jenson Button, who made his debut with Williams last year, will start his first race for Benetton ahead of more experienced Italian team mate Giancarlo Fisichella. Button qualified 16th fastest, Fisichella 17th.

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