Spanish GP: Ferrari Friday qualifying notes

The F2003-GA is fastest on the day of his début

Jean Todt:

"This has been the F2003-GA's first day at a Grand Prix weekend and the debut of a new car is always an emotional moment. At the end of the first qualifying session, we have Michael on provisional pole and Rubens in third place, while the other front running positions look a bit different to usual. The first day of practice has confirmed, possibly more so than usual, that at this track, tyre choice is always a critical factor in the final outcome."

"It also reinforces the importance of our close collaboration on a daily basis, with Bridgestone. We are embarking on a new adventure with the F2003-GA. The best we can wish for, for ourselves, our partners and our fans, is that this car will deliver the same emotion and satisfaction which we derived from the F2002. It was a car which will always have a place in the history of Ferrari and of Formula 1 itself, representing the results of the combined efforts of an extraordinary team made up of exceptional people."

Michael Schumacher:

"I feel very comfortable in the car and after a good start, it means we can be confident for the rest of the weekend. It is a nice feeling to be racing the new car and this provisional pole means that so far the car has lived up to our expectations. For the race, we can expect hot conditions which means the tyres will be sliding quite a bit, but we expect that here and have planned for it. Given that Rubens had to jump into the spare and drive with my settings, he also did a good job today. Sitting in the cockpit of a race car at a grand prix again has been the best way to take my mind off the events of the Imola weekend."

Rubens Barrichello:

"I did not get a chance to use my car because of a small water leak and I had to jump in the T-car which had been set up for Michael. My car ran perfectly this morning and felt good. I am just happy to have done a competitive time, because the settings on the spare car were very different to mine in terms of the seat and the position of the pedals. Actually, I have to say it was fun making the last minute switch! Hopefully tomorrow, the situation will be calmer and I will be able to do a better lap. I hope to be on pole."

Ross Brawn:

"We are very pleased with our performance today, the first time we ran the new car with low fuel and new tyres. We still have to do some work on the balance of the car for tomorrow, but the results are encouraging and I think we can look forward to a strong race on Sunday. Rubens' car developed a water leak and so he qualified with the spare car, which also performed pretty well."

Michael Schumacher 1st
1:17.130 3 laps F
2003-GA chassis 228

Rubens Barrichello 3rd
1:17.218 3 laps
F2003-GA chassis 227

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