June 29, 2003	Sunday	Rabi-us-Sani 28,1424

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NUERBURGRING (Germany), June 28: Kimi Raikkonen seized his first Formula One pole position at the European Grand Prix on Saturday to pile pressure on Ferrari’s Michael Schumacher.

The McLaren driver, three points behind overall leader Schumacher halfway through an unpredictable season, pipped his rival by a mere 0.032 of a second on the German’s home territory.

Last on track in the decisive single lap qualifying session, the 23-year-old ‘Iceman’ kept his cool to clock a lap of one minute 31.523 seconds and shatter local hopes of an all-Schumacher front row.

Five-time world champion Schumacher’s younger brother Ralf, on pole for the last two races, was third fastest for BMW-powered Williams to share the second row with Colombian team mate Juan Pablo Montoya.

Ferrari’s Rubens Barrichello and Renault’s Jarno Trulli filled the third row.

By a remarkable coincidence, Raikkonen’s McLaren predecessor Mika Hakkinen took the first pole of his Formula One career in a McLaren at the Nuerburgring in 1997.

The new rules introduced this season make Saturday qualifying a strategic puzzle, with cars running on different fuel levels.

But Raikkonen, who led the championship until Canada two weeks ago, was also fastest in Friday qualifying and sounded quietly confident of doing well in a home race for McLaren’s engine partner Mercedes.

Raikkonen, who had twice started on the front row this year, had to dig deep into his memory to recall his last pole position. The answer was in 2000, when he dominated British Formula Renault.

Before his run, it looked like the Schumacher brothers would repeat their 2001 front row at a circuit that is close to their boyhood home at Kerpen.

Ralf and Montoya shared the front row in Canada and finished second and third then. Their laps on Saturday were almost identical, the same first split time and same top speeds but divided by 0.146 at the finish.

Germany’s Nick Heidfeld will start at the back of the grid for Sauber after spinning and stalling on his lap. Canadian former champion Jacques Villeneuve also had a miserable afternoon for BAR, qualifying 17th.

Grid positions: 1. Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) McLaren one minute 31.523 seconds; 2. Michael Schumacher (Germany) Ferrari 1:31.555; 3. Ralf Schumacher (Germany) Williams 1:31.619; 4. Juan Pablo Montoya (Colombia) Williams 1:31.765; 5. Rubens Barrichello (Brazil) Ferrari 1:31.780; 6. Jarno Trulli (Italy) Renault 1:31.976; 7. Olivier Panis (France) Toyota 1.32.350; 8. Fernando Alonso (Spain) Renault 1:32.424; 9. David Coulthard (Britain) McLaren 1:32.742; 10. Cristiano da Matta (Brazil) Toyota 1:32.949; 11. Mark Webber (Australia) Jaguar 1:33.066; 12. Jenson Button (Britain) BAR 1:33.395; 13. Giancarlo Fisichella (Italy) Jordan 1:33.553; 14. Ralph Firman (Britain) Jordan 1:33.827; 15. Heinz-Harald Frentzen (Germany) Sauber 1:34.000; 16.

Antonio Pizzonia (Brazil) Jaguar 1:34.159; 17. Jacques Villeneuve (Canada) BAR 1:34.596; 18. Jos Verstappen (Netherlands) Minardi 1:36.318; 19. Justin Wilson (Britain) Minardi 1:36.485; 20. Nick Heidfeld (Germany) Sauber no time.—Reuters