Places on the third and fourth rows of the grid for Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello, who qualified sixth and eighth respectively this afternoon at the Shanghai International Circuit.

Now, it is just a case of putting on as good a show as possible for the millions of Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro fans around the world at tomorrow’s final round of the world championship. Michael reckoned he made a slight mistake at Turn 2, while Rubens was reasonably satisfied with his performance, in what was his last ever qualifying for the Scuderia. With the team sure of third place in the Constructors’ championship, there is no specific target to aim for tomorrow, other than doing as well as possible. However, there is still an air of tension in the paddock as Renault and McLaren-Mercedes fight it out for the title, with the former’s Alonso having already taken the Drivers’ crown.

At this stage, Renault seems to have the edge, as they have the front row to themselves, for the first time since Malaysia in 2003. Fernando Alonso took pole with Giancarlo Fisichella alongside him.

The second row features the McLaren-Mercedes of Kimi Raikkonen in third place alongside the BAR-Honda of Jenson Button. Michael Schumacher will be on the outside of Juan Pablo Montoya on the third row.

After a dark and murky Friday, Shanghai was warm and sunny and that is the forecast for tomorrow’s season finale. Whatever the outcome of Race 19, the general feeling in a very tired paddock will be one of relief!