Rain at Suzuka Gives Mixed Grid

By Nikos
October 8 2005

Ralf Schumacher will start Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix from pole position. The German owed his pole partly to the weather circumstances since half way the qualifying session the rain came down harder and harder.

Jenson Button will start from second while Fernando Alonso set the sixteenth time.

The qualifying session started at a damp track. Ralf Schumacher and Jenson Button were the last drivers to get a good run on the damp track before weather conditions worsened. Michael Schumacher was struggling in the wet conditions and qualified himself right behind Minardi driver Christijan Albers in fourteenth.

F1's newly crowned world champion Fernando Alonso was also affected by the weather. Alonso will start Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix from 16th position. His rival Kimi Räikkönen qualified in 17th, but he still has a 10-place grid penalty behind his name (engine switch).

Brazilian Grand Prix winner Juan Pablo Montoya was the last driver to go out. He gave it a try but aborted his qualifying run and drove his McLaren into the pitlane.


Pos. Driver Team Time
1 R. Schumacher Toyota 1:46.106
2 J. Button BAR 1:46.141
3 G. Fisichella Renault 1:46.276
4 C. Klien Red Bull 1:46.464
5 T. Sato BAR 1:46.841
6 D. Coulthard Red Bull 1:46.892
7 M. Webber Williams 1:47.233
8 J. Villeneuve Sauber 1:47.440
9 R. Barrichello Ferrari 1:48.248
10 F. Massa Sauber 1:48.278
11 N. Karthikeyan Jordan 1:48.718
12 A. Pizzonia Williams 1:48.898
13 C. Albers Minardi 1:50.843
14 M. Schumacher Ferrari 1:52.676
15 R. Doornbos Minardi 1:52.894
16 F. Alonso Renault 1:54.667
17 K. Räikkönen McLaren 2:02.309
18 T. Monteiro Jordan no time
19 J. Trulli Toyota no time
20 JP. Montoya McLaren no time