Jarno Trulli has taken a superb pole position for Panasonic Toyota Racing – the first in the team’s history – in qualifying for the US Grand Prix at Indianapolis.

The event has been a tricky one for the team so far, with both TF105s suffering tyre-related problems in free practice on Friday. Ralf Schumacher suffered his second heavy accident at Turn 13 in successive years and after a medical examination it was decided that he will take no further part in the meeting.

“It’s been a difficult time for everyone so far here,” said Trulli. “We have to have mixed feelings after the problems of yesterday but, in a way, that has made the pole position all the more sweet. I did a good job and put in a great, clear lap and I was delighted to hang onto pole position throughout the session. Obviously the tyres remain a big concern for the race so we hope that we can sort this problem out for tomorrow. Hopefully we will learn more this afternoon.”

Trulli lapped the 4.192kms Indianapolis circuit in 1m10.625s, some 0.06s faster than Montreal winner Kimi Raikkonen’s West McLaren Mercedes. Test driver Ricardo Zonta, meanwhile, was faced with the difficult task of substituting for Schumacher against the background of all that has gone on throughout the Indianapolis weekend thus far.

Zonta said: “This morning we didn’t do much running and so it was difficult to find a set-up for the car. Jumping into the car after your team mate has had an accident is not so nice, but we are racing drivers and we get on with the job.”

Zonta set a 1m11.754s lap, which will see him start tomorrow’s race from 13th on the grid. Jenson Button’s Lucky Strike BAR Honda set the third quickest time (1m11.277s), ahead of Giancarlo Fisichella’s Mild Seven Renault (1m11.290s), Michael Schumacher’s Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro entry (1m11.369s) and Fernando Alonso (1m11.380s) in the second Renault.

After the Friday tyre problems, Panasonic Toyota Racing confirmed that it ran its tyres within the parameters specified by Michelin, which is still looking into the problems ahead of tomorrow’s race.

Panasonic Toyota Racing’s chief race engineer, Dieter Gass, said: “It’s tremendous for Jarno to get our first ever pole position and it was a great lap, as we have got used to seeing from in qualifying this year. For Ricardo the circumstances were difficult and it is never easy to be the first car out. We saw big differences between cars in other teams that went out early and late in the session. We must now wait for information from Michelin about the race situation tomorrow.”