BUDAPEST, Aug 17: Rubens Barrichello seized pole position from Michael Schumacher on Saturday as Ferrari swept the front row of the grid for Sunday’s Hungarian Formula One Grand Prix.

The Italian team were in a class of their own in qualifying, after regularly lapping more than a second faster than their rivals in practice on what could be a historic weekend at the Hungaroring.

Ferrari need only maintain the current 65 point gap between them and Williams to clinch a record 12th constructors’ championship and fourth in a row.

Schumacher, aiming to become the first driver to win 10 times in a season after taking a record-equalling fifth title in July, had hoped for pole at a circuit where it is notoriously difficult to overtake.

He was fastest halfway through the session but Barrichello, fired up after his first run was aborted when the Renault of Jenson Button spun off in front of him, squeezed a few more fractions out of his car.

The pole, in one minute 13.333 seconds, was Barrichello’s third of the season and sixth of his career. He beat Schumacher by a mere 0.059.

It was also Ferrari’s seventh pole in 13 races and fourth front row sweep of the season.

Schumacher, who led Barrichello to a one-two in Hungary last year to secure his fourth title, will start on the ‘dirty’ side of the track off the racing line.

Ralf Schumacher led an all-Williams second row ahead of his Colombian team mate Juan Pablo Montoya while Italians Giancarlo Fisichella, in a Jordan, and Renault’s Jarno Trulli were fifth and sixth respectively.

Sauber filled the fourth row, with Brazilian Felipe Massa qualifying ahead of German team mate Nick Heidfeld.

Button recovered from his spin to line up alongside the McLaren of David Coulthard on the fifth row.

Coulthard, a winner in Monaco, said McLaren had been struggling all weekend and was deeply disappointed while team boss Ron Dennis said there was much hard work ahead.

Briton Anthony Davidson, driving a Minardi, will make his debut from last place on the grid after successfully qualifying little more than half a second slower than his Australian team mate Mark Webber.

Team boss Paul Stoddart was delighted by the performance of his stand-in driver, replacing underperforming Malaysian Alex Yoong for the next two races.

Davidson had not driven the Minardi before Friday or raced at the Hungaroring before.

The grid will be 20 cars, with Arrows absent.

Grid positions: 1. Rubens Barrichello (Brazil) Ferrari one minute 13.333 seconds (average speed 195.137 kph); 2. Michael Schumacher (Germany) Ferrari 1:13.392; 3. Ralf Schumacher (Germany) Williams 1:13.746; 4. Juan Pablo Montoya (Colombia) Williams 1:14.706; 5. Giancarlo Fisichella (Italy) Jordan 1:14.880; 6. Jarno Trulli (Italy) Renault 1:14.980; 7. Felipe Massa (Brazil) Sauber 1:15.047; 8. Nick Heidfeld (Germany) Sauber 1:15.129; 9. Jenson Button (Britain) Renault 1:15.214; 10. David Coulthard (Britain) McLaren 1:15.223; 11. Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) McLaren 1:15.243; 12. Olivier Panis (France) BAR 1:15.556; 13. Jacques Villeneuve (Canada) BAR 1:15.583; 14. Takuma Sato (Japan) Jordan 1:15.804; 15. Pedro de la Rosa (Spain) Jaguar 1:15.867; 16. Eddie Irvine (Britain) Jaguar 1:16.419; 17. Mika Salo (Japan) Toyota 1:16.473; 18. Allan McNish (Britain) Toyota 1:16.626; 19. Mark Webber (Australia) Minardi 1:17.428; 20. Anthony Davidson (Britain) Minardi 1:17.959.—Reuters