13/04/2002

San Marino Qualifying Round Up

With the San Marino Grand Prix at Imola signalling the start of a busy schedule of European races Panasonic Toyota Racing has qualified for the race in 16th and 17th positions.

Imola places heavy demands on braking and requires good traction combined with a chassis that can ride the kerbs well without being over-sensitive. Whereas it used to be a circuit on which overtaking was easily possible today's layout makes it is one of the trickiest venues at which to make a successful move.

Patience in the midfield is often needed and will be something the Toyota drivers have to consider in the race. In today's qualifying session the midfield was fiercely contested with Mika Salo and Allan McNish separated by just 0.003s!

Salo was philosophical about starting 16th. "It's not a bad place to be " he said. "We have had a few problems with the car this weekend with little grip and a bit of difficulty in making the chassis ride the kerbs as well as we would like. Considering the way it can be here I hope we can make a good start tomorrow!"

Salo and McNish proved very closely-matched throughout the hour-long qualifying session suggesting that both got maximum potential from the TF102.

"Overall it was a good day " McNish commented. "We are not as high up on the grid as we would like but it is a representative position for us at this race. We have made lots of improvements since yesterday which was lost to the wet conditions. During qualifying we only made very small adjustments and the car feels relatively good." The Scot is hoping for a change of fortune on European soil after disappointments in the first three races of the season.

At the front of the field Michael Schumacher won an all-Ferrari battle for pole position when he beat team mate Rubens Barrichello by just 0.02s on his fourth and final qualifying run. Tomorrow the world champion will equal Gerhard Berger's record of 96 Grand Prix starts for Ferrari.

Ralf Schumacher lines up third for BMW Williams 0.13s clear of his team mate Juan Pablo Montoya. Then comes the West McLaren Mercedes challenge with young Finn Kimi Raikkonen in fifth place and David Coulthard last year's pole position man sixth.

Nick Heidfeld was seventh fastest in the quicker of the two Sauber-Petronas cars narrowly beating the Renaults of Jarno Trulli and Jenson Button who were evenly matched once more split by just 0.02s. Jacques Villeneuve's BAR-Honda completed the top 10 qualifiers.