Michael Schumacher has taken pole position for Sunday's Japanese Formula One Grand Prix for the fourth year in succession.
Ferrari's four-time world champion blasted around the sun-baked Suzuka circuit in one minute 32.484 seconds on Saturday to end the 17-race season with 11 poles.
The German, who became Ferrari's first world champion for 21 years in Japan 12 months ago and has already secured this year's title, was joined on the front row by Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya in a Williams.
Michael's brother Ralf, Montoya's team mate, was third fastest ahead of Ferrari's Brazilian Rubens Barrichello.
The third row of the grid was made up of McLaren's Mika Hakkinen, for the former champion's last race before taking a sabbatical season, and the Benetton driven by Italian Giancarlo Fisichella.
McLaren's David Coulthard, second overall in the championship, was seventh fastest. French veteran Jean Alesi, in his final race with Jordan before retirement, was 11th while his team-mate, Jarno Trulli, was eighth. Eddie Irvine took 13th in the improving Jaguar.
It was Schumacher's 43rd career pole and he has become the king of qualifying at Suzuka with a remarkable six poles here in the last eight years.