Trulli lapped his Toyota TF105 in 1m46.596s, while Schumacher recorded 1m47.401s. Pole position was claimed by Monza winner Juan Pablo Montoya’s McLaren Mercedes in 1m46.391s.

Trulli, who claimed pole position at Spa last year, was delighted with his performance: “It’s a great track to drive but I was a bit concerned when I saw rain spots on my visor as I went out. At this track it can be dry at one point and raining heavily at another, so I was just hoping that I was going to get my lap in. I was a bit cautious in the first sector in case the surface was slippery but everything was okay, the car felt good and I pushed to the maximum for the rest of the lap. I am confident for the race whether the conditions are wet or dry.”

Schumacher, meanwhile, set similar times to Trulli in sectors one and three, but lost out in sector two.

“I wasn’t 100 percent happy with the balance,” Ralf admitted. “We missed out on dry running yesterday because of the heavy rain and I think we could have similar conditions for tomorrow’s race. With the high speeds and the long straight, visibility can then be an issue but at least we are near the front of the grid and so that is positive.”

Giancarlo Fisichella (1m46.497s) qualified third in his Mild Seven Renault but must go back 10 places on the grid after an engine change, while championship-chasing team mate Fernando Alonso lines up 4th on 1m46.760s.

Spa, in the Belgian Ardennes, has a micro climate all its own and the general consensus is that there is an 85 percent chance of rain for tomorrow’s Grand Prix.

Chief race engineer Dieter Gass said: “The rain has been threatening all weekend and will do so again tomorrow, so it has been difficult to do the race preparation. The regulations do not allow significant changes to the cars’ set-up if the conditions change, of course, so to some degree there was an element of anticipation involved today. We’re happy with the result and both drivers have qualified in strong positions.”