Schumachers hog limelight

Michael Schumacher roared back to form with a vengeance on Saturday to seize pole position for Ferrari’s home Italian Grand Prix and set up a front row duel with title rival Juan Pablo Montoya.

Ralf’s title hopes go up in smoke

Ralf Schumacher’s Formula One title hopes disappeared on Saturday when the German was ruled out of Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix on medical grounds following a heavy crash last week. “Of course, it’s the end of Ralf’s title hopes but for the team it should be okay,” said BMW motorsport director Mario Theissen. Story continues below this ad The German was fourth overall, 14 points behind his pacesetting older brother and five-times champion Michael in a Ferrari. There are just two races remaining after Monza. (Reuters)

It was the five-time world champion’s first pole position since the Austrian Grand Prix in May, a race he won, and the 55th of his career. Schumacher, who has not led a race since June and leads Williams’ Montoya by just one point with two races remaining after Monza, lapped in one minute 20.963 seconds.

Montoya was the second quickest, the Colombian deprived of his third Monza pole position in a row by a mere 0.051 of a second. Ferrari’s Brazilian Rubens Barrichello, last year’s winner in a one-two finish that delighted the Red Army of tifosi, was third fastest and starts alongside McLaren’s championship contender Kimi Raikkonen. The Finn is two points behind Schumacher in the standings. Spaniard Marc Gene, stepping into Ralf Schumacher’s Williams, qualified fifth for his first race since 2000.