Schumacher impresses in new Ferrari

World champion Michael Schumacher gave Ferrari's new car a pace-setting debut in first qualifying today for the Spanish Grand…

World champion Michael Schumacher gave Ferrari's new car a pace-setting debut in first qualifying today for the Spanish Grand Prix.

While impressive, with Schumacher set to take pole position for the fourth straight year at the Circuit de Catalunya, the F2003-GA's first competitive appearance was far from overwhelming.

Italian Jarno Trulli almost stole the five-times world champion's thunder with the second best time for Renault, crossing the line just 0.019 of a second off Schumacher's lap of one minute 17.130 seconds.

Brazilian Rubens Barrichello, driving the second Ferrari, was third quickest in the single lap session that dictates the start order for tomorrow's decisive shootout when strategy as much as speed comes into play.

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While Ferrari remained the front row favourites, today's qualifying was as much about some remarkable performances from lower ranked teams.

Toyota, Renault, Jaguar and BAR stood out. Brazilian Cristiano da Matta, the 2002 CART champion who is one of four Formula One rookies, put Toyota in the thick of things with the fourth best time at the first circuit this season that he is truly familiar with.

Briton Jenson Button was well ahead of his BAR team mate Jacques Villeneuve as he claimed the fifth fastest lap ahead of Frenchman Olivier Panis in a Toyota and Australian Mark Webber for Jaguar.

Webber's Brazilian team mate Antonio Pizzonia, fighting for his future after poor qualifying performances, could only manage the 13th-quickest time.

World championship leader Kimi Raikkonen was eighth in a disappointing afternoon for McLaren, with his team mate David Coulthard ninth.

Williams also struggled to match the pace, Ralf Schumacher lying only 11th after making a mistake and Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya languishing in 14th.