By Alan Baldwin
Imola, Italy - World champion Michael Schumacher seized a last-gasp pole position to give Ferrari a front row sweep and delight their massed fans at the San Marino Formula One Grand Prix on Saturday.
Brazilian Rubens Barrichello, Schumacher's team-mate, had led as the chequered flag fell to end the hour-long qualifying session and looked set for his second pole in four races.
But four-times world champion Schumacher had already started his final flying lap and he powered over the kerbs and through the chicanes to beat the luckless Brazilian by 0.064 of a second.
It was the German's 45th career pole position and his time of one minute 21.091 seconds was well inside the race lap record of 1:25.524.
The German's success also ended McLaren's run of four poles in succession at Imola.
"My mate gave me a hard time today," said Schumacher, who will equal Austrian Gerhard Berger's record of 96 starts for Ferrari on Sunday. "But that's fun, that's what we like.
"It was so close between each other."
Barrichello, using the spare Ferrari usually set up for Schumacher, gave the 'Tifosi' a day to celebrate by sealing the all-scarlet front row at a circuit named after the team's late founder Enzo and son Dino.
Ferrari's strongest rivals Williams filled the second row, with Ralf Schumacher - winner at Imola last year third fastest and Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya fourth.
The McLarens of Finland's Kimi Raikkonen and Britain's David Coulthard occupied the third row.
Ralf happy
Schumacher's time was the fastest lap at the circuit since it was reconfigured after Brazilian Ayrton Senna and Austrian Roland Ratzenberger died there in 1994.
Barrichello had to abort his last run when the car in front of him ran wide and threw up dirt on the track, but he was not using that as an excuse.
"It has been a very good qualifying, it was great to have the car running well," he said.
"I would have liked for sure to stay on pole but we were so close and I enjoyed the fight."
Ralf, second in the championship eight points behind his older brother after three races, won at Imola last year from third place.
He was not disappointed to line up there again.
"After Brazil it looked like they (Ferrari) were going to be very strong here and we expected it," he said. "Luckily it was nice and sunny today which helped us out for sure.
"Whatever happens we are in a podium position now and we'll try to keep it and make points in any case. With a good strategy anything is possible."
Montoya had been on the front row for the last two races, clashing with Michael Schumacher on the first lap of both, and his position reduced the risk of a repeat collision early in Sunday's proceedings.
Further down the field, there was disappointment for Minardi in their home race, with Malaysian Alex Yoong failing to make the qualifying time while Australian team mate Mark Webber was a strong 19th.
Italian Giancarlo Fisichella, a strong runner in practice on Friday, pulled over 21 minutes into the session and had to qualify in the spare Jordan. He was 15th, well down on the top six position he had hoped for.
The Renaults of Italian Jarno Trulli and Briton Jenson Button qualified a strong eighth and ninth and could gain several places at the start if they repeat their last performances from Brazil.