June 28, 2003	Saturday	Rabi-us-Sani 27,1424

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NUERBURGRING (Germany), June 27: Kimi Raikkonen took the fight to Formula One leader Michael Schumacher on Friday with the top time in first qualifying for Sunday’s European Grand Prix.

The Finn, three points adrift of Ferrari’s world champion after the German took back the lead in Canada two weeks ago, powered his McLaren around his rival’s home track in one minute 29.989 seconds.

Schumacher, chasing his fifth win of the year on Sunday and his 50th for Ferrari to become the first driver to score 1,000 championship points, was second quickest with a time 0.364 slower than the 23-year-old.

“The car has been good and the tyres were really good, I’m quite happy to be first on Friday,” said Raikkonen, who got his lap in before the skies opened and drenched the circuit for the later runners.

Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya and his Williams team mate Ralf Schumacher were third and fourth fastest respectively with Brazilian Rubens Barrichello, winner at the Nuerburgring last year, fifth for Ferrari.

Briton David Coulthard was sixth for McLaren.

Raikkonen left no doubt about his intentions to regain the initiative in what is also a home race for his team’s engine partners Mercedes but Ferrari remained confident.

“I think there is still room for improvement on the car, given that they were not perfectly balanced on a light fuel load,” said Ferrari technical director Ross Brawn.

“The key will be to see how our rivals’ tyres last over a distance. From what we saw this morning, we might have an advantage.”

The Nuerburgring’s capricious climate favoured the front-runners and ended the hopes of the tail-enders as rain fell halfway through the session.

The deteriorating conditions saw a switch to extreme weather tyres, with spray billowing out behind the cars and reduced visibility.

Some of the later drivers were more than 27 seconds slower than Raikkonen, who starts last in Saturday’s decisive session.

Australian Mark Webber struggled to keep his Jaguar on the slippery circuit and Brazilian Cristiano da Matta, for Toyota, and BAR’s former champion Jacques Villeneuve failed to clock times after spinning.

Canadian Villeneuve skidded off into the gravel trap, halting the session to allow marshals to remove his car — the second race in a row that he has failed to finish a Friday qualifying lap.

France’s Olivier Panis, who gave the Cologne-based Toyota team a boost with the fastest time in free practice for their local race, finished a disappointing 17th with Jaguar’s Brazilian Antonio Pizzonia 18th.

“The surface water by that stage was unbearable,” said Pizzonia. “The car was sliding around all over the place and it was also difficult to see because my visor was so steamed up.”

Qualifying times: 1. Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) McLaren 1 minute 29.989 seconds; 2. Michael Schumacher (Germany) Ferrari 1:30.353; 3. Juan Pablo Montoya (Colombia) Williams 1:30.378; 4. Ralf Schumacher (Germany) Williams 1:30.522; 5. Rubens Barrichello (Brazil) Ferrari 1:30.842; 6. David Coulthard (Britain) McLaren 1:30.903; 7. Jarno Trulli (Italy) Renault 1:31.143; 8. Fernando Alonso (Spain) Renault 1:31.533; 9. Giancarlo Fisichella (Italy) Jordan 1:32.196; 10. Heinz-Harald Frentzen (Germany) Sauber 1:32.201; 11. Jenson Button (Britain) BAR 1:32.479; 12. Mark Webber (Australia) Jaguar 1:35.972; 13. Nick Heidfeld (Germany) Sauber 1:52.300; 14. Ralph Firman (Britain) Jordan 1:53.893; 15. Justin Wilson (Britain) Minardi 1:54.546; 16. Jos Verstappen (Netherlands) Minardi 1:55.921; 17. Olivier Panis (France) Toyota 1:57.327; 18. Antonio Pizzonia (Brazil) Jaguar 1:57.435; 19. Cristiano da Matta (Brazil) Toyota no time; 20. Jacques Villeneuve (Canada) BAR no time—Reuters