Happy days!!!!!

Schumacher sets pace
Mar 11 2006

Michael Schumacher equalled Ayrton Senna's pole position record to take top spot on the grid for the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Former world champion Schumacher responded to the loss of his title last year with a lightening display in qualifying as Ferrari fired an ominous warning to their rivals. Schumacher's lap of one minute 31.341 seconds took him to 65 career pole positions, level with Brazilian great Senna.

Felipe Massa took second on his Ferrari debut, while Honda's Jenson Button was an encouraging third with world champion Fernando Alonso fourth.

Meanwhile, Kimi Raikkonen became the first victim of Formula One's new qualifying system on Saturday.

He suffered a suspension and rear-wing failure at high speed, pitching him into a spin which almost resulted in a roll as his stricken car bounced over his trailing tyre.

He was condemned to starting from the back thanks to a new knock-out qualifying system. The six slowest cars are eliminated after each of two 15-minute sessions before a top-10 shoot-out determined the front of the grid.

As Raikkonen had yet to set a lap time, and his McLaren was too damaged to resume the short session, he must start last.

Raikkonen's team-mate Juan Pablo Montoya was fifth, with Honda driver Rubens Barrichello sixth.

Scotsman David Coulthard starts from 13th place after failing to avoid the cut in the second session.

Source: icLiverpool (http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0200sport/roundup/tm_objectid=16802395%26method=full%26siteid=50061-name_page.html)