Trulli Edges Schumacher for Belgian Pole

SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium August 28, 2004; Stephen Wade writing for the AP reported that Jarno Trulli, the only driver to beat Michael Schumacher this season, nipped Michael Schumacher for the pole in Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix. Trulli, a Renault driver, hopes to repeat his triumph of three months ago in Monaco, where he also claimed the pole en route to his first F1 victory.

He was lucky in Monte Carlo when Schumacher crashed running behind a safety car.

He beat the odds Saturday in qualifying in on-and-off rain at Spa, and he'll need more good fortune on Sunday to beat the dominating German who has won six times at Spa -- his favorite circuit.

"I was very brave, I took a gamble," said Trulli, one of the last drivers out in the single-car qualifying before showers fell on the already damp track. Schumacher came out last in the rain, using slower, wet-weather tires after Trulli lapped with a quicker, dry-weather alternative.

"That's the way it is. It is a lottery in a way," Schumacher said, "Just 10 minutes from the end we get this extra splash of rain, which was wasn't supposed to be. But we are in the first row, second position. With the conditions. I think we can be quite happy."

Any tiny edge over Schumacher is a breakthrough.

Schumacher doesn't even have to win Sunday on this hilly, historic track in the Ardennes to claim an unprecedented seventh drivers' title. All he needs is to finish two points ahead of teammate Rubens Barrichello -- the only driver with a chance to overtake him -- to complete the Ferrari sweep.

The Fiat-owned team won the constructors' title two weeks ago in Budapest.

If he fails Sunday, he has four more races to do it -- Italy, China, Japan and Brazil.

Schumacher has 120 points followed by Barrichello (82), Jenson Button (65) and Trulli (46). After Ferrari with 202 points, Renault is next (91) in the team standings followed by BAR-Honda (83), Williams (54) and McLaren (37).

Trulli clocked 1 minute, 56.232 seconds with Schumacher across in 1:56.304 followed by Renault teammate Fernando Alonso (1:56.686).

One thing for sure, with Schumacher between the two Renaults, the start will be furious.

"We know that usually we start very good, and tomorrow we have the chance to be one-two through the first corner," Alonso said.

Added Schumacher: "We have a big challenge in front of us tomorrow. We know both the Renaults are big starters."

McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen, who will start from 10th, could be the man to watch.

He was quickest in Friday's practice. Saturday's early morning practice was wiped out by fog, and the second session was cut from 45 minutes to 15 by rain. But in dry, pre-qualifying just minutes before qualifying, Raikkonen was quickest behind Schumacher and Barrichello.