Length:4.309 km
Number of Laps:71 (305.909 Km)
Best Lap: M. Schumacher - 1'14''755 (2000, Ferrari)
Record Pole: J. Montoya - 1'13''114 (2002, Williams)
2002 Pole: J. Montoya - 1'13''114 (Williams)
2002 Podium: M. Schumacher - R. Schumacher - D. Coulthard

Button took to the track first at a decidedly different Interlagos from yesterday. With dry, warm weather the circuit was barely recognisable from the river of yesterday.

Button’s initial time was quickly beaten by Montoya and the pole position changed hands many times throughout the qualifying period.

Fisichella put in a great lap in the Jordan to claim a provisional pole and putting his rookie team mate, Firman, very much in the shade.

Immediately the Italian had put in the fastest lap then Ralf Schumacher took to the track and took pole, followed by hot qualifier Trulli, putting his mark on qualifying and his name at number one briefly.

Villeneuve couldn’t manage to out-qualify his team mate, Button, putting himself in eighth, two places and two tenths of a second behind the other BAR.

Michael Schumacher managed to claim third fastest briefly, before the McLaren of Couthard took provisional pole and pushed him down to fourth. The German ended up behind his brother, taking seventh on the grid for tomorrow.

Raikkonen was out after his team mate and qualified just behind him leaving only Barrichello and Webber to go.

Barrichello put in a storming lap, to the delight of the crowd, giving him pole position and the final man on the track, Webber, couldn’t take it away from the jubilant Brazilian.

Qualifying result: Barrichello, Coulthard, Webber, Raikkonen, Trulli, R Schumacher

Article by: Dawn Barnes