MELBOURNE, March 8: World champion Michael Schumacher started the season where he left off by leading Ferrari to a front row sweep for Sunday’s Australian Formula One Grand Prix.

Schumacher, winner in Melbourne for the past three years, clocked a fastest lap of one minute 27.173 seconds to become the first driver to take pole position under the new single-lap qualifying.

Brazilian team mate Rubens Barrichello, fastest in Friday’s opening qualifying, will start alongside him after lapping 0.245 of a second slower on the decisive day.

Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya, in a Williams, was in third place ahead of Germany’s Heinz-Harald Frentzen in a Ferrari-powered Sauber.

It was Schumacher’s 51st career pole, although qualifying is now about strategy more than pure speed with cars running on different fuel levels as a result of the new rules banning refuelling before Sunday’s start.

Saturday’s session was run with the fastest car from Friday’s qualifying starting last and the slowest first.

Grid positions

1. Michael Schumacher (Germany) Ferrari 1 minute 27.173 seconds 2. Rubens Barrichello (Brazil) Ferrari 1:27.418 3. Juan Pablo Montoya (Colombia) Williams 1:28.101 4. Heinz-Harald Frentzen (Germany) Sauber 1:28.274 5. Olivier Panis (France) Toyota 1:28.288 6. Jacques Villeneuve (Canada) BAR 1:28.420 7. Nick Heidfeld (Germany) Sauber 1:28.464 8. Jenson Button (Britain) BAR 1:28.682 9. Ralf Schumacher (Germany) Williams 1:28.830 10. Fernando Alonso (Spain) Renault 1:28.928 11. David Coulthard (Britain) McLaren 1:29.105 12. Jarno Trulli (Italy) Renault 1:29.136 13. Giancarlo Fisichella (Italy) Jordan 1:29.344 14. Mark Webber (Australia) Jaguar 1:29.367 15. Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) McLaren 1:29.470 16. Cristiano Da Matta (Brazil) Toyota 1:29.538 17. Ralph Firman (Britain) Jordan 1:31.242 18. Antonio Pizzonia (Brazil) Jaguar 1:31.723

Starting at back of grid: 19. Jos Verstappen (Netherlands) Minardi 20. Justin Wilson (Britain) Minardi—Reuters