Qualification: Michael Schumacher on pole; strategic move by Minardi

Published on 08 March 2003 by Huub Rothengatter

Michael Schumacher grabs pole position despite all the new regulations and he wants everyone to know that this year Ferrari will be superior again. Montoya had pole for a long time until Michael smashed it by nearly a second.

Michael Schumacher: pole sitter again

Rubens Barrichello might have been able to be faster than his team mate but debris and Raikkonen's McLaren made this impossible. With the new rules concerning fuel it is hard to tell if this qualification reflects the actual order in the race. Some might drive with very little fuel while others have a full fuel tank to get as far into the race as possible to establish a late pitstop.


Minardi causes a stir with an unexpected strategic move

The was a little confusion at the beginning of the qualification session when the Minardi team made a daring strategic move. Jos and Justin did not set a time, which means their Minardi's can stay outside 'Perc Fermé' which enables the engineers to makes some necessary adjustments. Another advantage is that, if the weather changes, they can change the whole setup of the cars. Because the 107% rule does not exist anymore both Minardi's can start from the back of the grid, a place they probably would have had anyway if they had set a qualifying time.
If this action of Minardi will be appreciated by the other team owners is to be seen. During the interviews the others did not comment on the matter.