IMOLA (Italy), April 19: Ferrari’s Michael Schumacher led younger brother Ralf in a family front row sweep in final qualifying for Sunday’s San Marino Formula One Grand Prix while their mother was fighting for her life in hospital.

Germany’s Bild newspaper had earlier reported that 55-year-old Elisabeth Schumacher was in hospital in a coma, but the brothers set aside private concerns to secure their first appearance together on the front row since Germany last year.

Asked at a post-qualifying news conference about his mother and how he had managed to stay focused, the older Schumacher wrestled with his emotions as he replied: “Please, don’t expect an answer.”

Schumacher’s time of one minute 22.327 seconds was just 0.014 quicker than Ralf’s Williams but slower than his own 2002 pole of 1:21.091 seconds.

It was the second pole in four races for Schumacher, who has yet to appear on the podium this season after not once stepping off it last year.

The Schumacher family have dominated the San Marino Grand Prix in recent years, Michael winning in 1999, 2000 and last year while Ralf took the first victory of his Formula One career at the Enzo and Dino Ferrari circuit in 2001.

Ferrari and Williams also monopolised the second row, with Brazilian Rubens Barrichello third for the world champions, alongside Ralf’s Colombian team mate Juan Pablo Montoya.

Australian Mark Webber, fifth on the grid for Jaguar in the last race in Brazil, repeated the feat with another stand-out performance as the quickest qualifier from outside last season’s top two teams.

Championship leader Kimi Raikkonen was sixth for McLaren, ahead of the BAR of Canadian Jacques Villeneuve.

Italian Giancarlo Fisichella, surprise winner of the Brazilian Grand Prix after it was cut short amid crashes and confusion, came back to earth with a bump by qualifying his Jordan 17th in front of his home fans.

In another disappointment for Italian fans, most of whom only have eyes for Ferrari, Jarno Trulli was 16th for Renault in a one-lap qualifying format where fuel strategy is more of a factor than speed.

A light drizzle fell before the session, which was halted for five minutes when Minardi’s Dutch driver Jos Verstappen lost control on the slippery surface and crashed into the tyre barriers. He will start from the back of the grid.

Grid positions: 1. Michael Schumacher (Germany) Ferrari one minute 22.327 seconds; 2. Ralf Schumacher (Germany) Williams 1:22.341; 3. Rubens Barrichello (Brazil) Ferrari 1:22.557; 4. Juan Pablo Montoya (Colombia) Williams 1:22.789; 5. Mark Webber (Australia) Jaguar 1:23.015; 6. Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) McLaren 1:23.148; 7. Jacques Villeneuve (Canada) BAR 1:23.160; 8. Fernando Alonso (Spain) Renault 1:23.169; 9. Jenson Button (Britain) BAR 1:23.381; 10. Olivier Panis (France) Toyota 1:23.460; 11. Nick Heidfeld (Germany) Sauber 1:23.700; 12. David Coulthard (Britain) McLaren 1:23.818; 13. Cristiano da Matta (Brazil) Toyota 1:23.838; 14. Heinz-Harald Frentzen (Germany) Sauber 1:23.932; 15. Antonio Pizzonia (Brazil) Jaguar 1:24.147; 16. Jarno Trulli (Italy) Renault 1:24.190; 17. Giancarlo Fisichella (Italy) Jordan 1:24.317; 18. Justin Wilson (Britain) Minardi 1:25.826; 19. Ralph Firman (Britain) Jordan 1:26.357; 20. Jos Verstappen (Netherlands) Minardi no time.—Reuters