Schumacher, last out on track for the final one-shot qualifying hour after setting the pace on Friday, and under pressure to beat Kimi Raikkonen's exceptional lap of 1m09.189s - the standard up to that point - made a mistake. But then responded to it with customary flair.

Having struggled for grip out of Turn One, Schumacher got sideways under braking for Turn Two and looked certain to have missed his opportunity. But fastest splits in the last two sectors ended any hopes the McLaren team may have had of snatching an unlikely pole away from Ferrari.

“I had a little wobble in Turn Two which cost me and I went wide,” said Schumacher. “I was lucky that I caught the slide right on the apex so I didn't lose too much time! The rest of the lap was fine. Our car was balanced perfectly well, but I thought I could do better to be honest.”

Raikkonen was not too disappointed to have missed out on pole, indeed this will only be the second time in the championship leader's career that he will start a grand prix from the front row. On the last occasion, the 2002 Belgian Grand Prix, he also lost out to Schumacher.

“It was a good qualifying session for us,” said Raikkonen. “The front row is very good. We found the right way with the set-up this morning after some difficulties yesterday and I am quite happy with the car now.”

Juan Pablo Montoya dragged his WilliamsF1 BMW up to third on the grid having set competitive times in the final free practice session and the 15-minute warm-up and felt that, had he not run wide at the first corner, he may even have been able to bump Raikkonen's McLaren down a slot.

“We have had a good balance for most of the weekend,” said Montoya, “but the car has not been quick enough. We made some pretty radical changes and they seem to have worked. I think on longer runs our car looks very competitive to McLaren and Ferrari so we are looking forward to tomorrow!”

Nick Heidfeld recorded his best qualifying performance of the season for Sauber with fourth on the grid, in his T-car. The lap was clean and tidy, but perhaps the German benefited from the fact that at that period of the session, so was the asphalt. Right after his lap came Fernando Alonso, whose Renault speared off track at Turn Five. The Spaniard returned to the circuit with a defunct time and all the muck and dust from his misdemeanour.

Subsequent attempts from Olivier Panis, Jacques Villeneuve, Jenson Button, Mark Webber and even Rubens Barrichello would all be affected by lurid slides as the track got dirtier and more slippery. Barrichello would however salvage fifth place ahead of Jarno Trulli's Renault.

Button's BAR-Honda, quick all weekend, was good enough for fifth but he went wide at the last turn. Antonio Pizzonia firmly entrenched himself in the top ten with eighth fastest – a result he sorely needed. While Giancarlo Fisichella and Ralf Schumacher rounded out the top ten, the German Williams driver rather less happy with his car's balance than his team-mate.

Panis would end up just ahead of Villeneuve who will be disappointed with his lap. Untidy and twice on the grass, the Canadian should at least win an award for the best sideways moment of 2003 so far. His rear wheels arriving at the apex of Turn One at exactly the same time as his front wheels, all four in continuous drift for several metres after his car had passed the kerb!

Cristiano da Matta made some progress in 13th in the second Toyota ahead of a disappointing David Coulthard. The Scot's performance dismal enough to prompt harsh words from McLaren team-boss Ron Dennis: “Three mistakes is a bit unacceptable but we are a team. He will be tough enough on himself about this, we don't need to be any tougher.”

Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Ralf Firman, Mark Webber and Justin Wilson rounded off those who completed laps at racing speed. Alonso was classified 19th ahead of Jos Verstappen who stripped fourth and fifth gears as his Minardi braked for Turn One.