Rubens Barrichello will start tomorrow’s Japanese Grand Prix from ninth place on the fifth row of the grid in ninth place, while his Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro team-mate, Michael Schumacher is back in fourteenth place. Rain, which intensified in the later part of the session made the grid deciding laps something of a lottery, in which, according to technical director, Ross Brawn, “we did not have any winning tickets.”

The day started with both drivers looking very competitive in this morning’s wet free practice session when running on full wet tyres, to such an extent that Michael was hopeful of putting his F2005 on one of the front two rows of the grid and Rubens was also very happy with his pace. A slight glitch in proceedings came when Schumacher clipped a kerb, aquaplaned and crashed into the tyre barriers during the first 45 minute session this morning, shortly after setting the fastest time. The Scuderia mechanics worked flat out to get it all fixed and ready for qualifying. Barrichello made his run in the afternoon before the really heavy rain arrived and was therefore using normal rain tyres. The Brazilian found they did not suit the car as well as the extreme wets used in the morning and had to contend with a poorly balanced car. When the German started his run, the first part of the lap looked very competitive, but the rain intensified dramatically and there was nothing he could do but bring the car home safely.



So, with all the lead drivers in the same situation, lining up in the back part of the grid, pole position went to Ralf Schumacher in the Toyota, evidently a pleasing result for the Japanese. Their joy was no doubt strengthened further by the fact that a BAR-Honda, that of Jenson Button, is also on the front row. Row 2 features the Renault of Giancarlo Fisichella and the Red Bull of Christian Klien. For the young Austrian, this is his best ever F1 grid position. As the grid forms up tomorrow afternoon, all eyes in the grandstand will be on the third row, where the race fans will find their local hero, Takuma Sato in the BAR, on the inside of David Coulthard in the second Red Bull. After today’s damp and dismal conditions, race day is supposed to be dry and warm. With such an unusual grid, with most of the championship leaders down the back, it promises to be, at the very least, an interesting race, especially in the opening laps.