And The Rain Came Down...

Qualifying analysis, by Michele Lupini

Interesting.

That's an understatement when considering the past two day's events at Magny Cours, the scene of this weekend's French Grand Prix.

So confident were Ferrari on Friday morning, following last week's three-day test that they never even bothered to venture out on Friday morning's first session. But the McLarens didn't squander their opportunity, leading the way, as would be expected in the absence of the red cars, Mika Hakkinen ahead of David Coulthard. Third was an obviously ecstatic Alex Zanardi, giving hope to an improved season from here on in, in the Williams.

He was followed by the regular '99 qualifying suspects - Frentzen, Alesi and Barrichello.

"The track is very slippery compared with last week," was Michael Schumacher's comment as he put the Ferrari on top of the Friday overall timesheets in the afternoon, from his teammate Eddie Irvine. Behind the Ferraris, the time sheet resembled the morning's session, with no one really doing anything special in hot, difficult conditions.

But Saturday dawned gloomy, challenging the teams' various meteorological consultants from the outset. And it was a surprise out front. Rubens Barrichello rocked the establishment with a little good timing to put the Stewart-Ford onto the top of the pile. "I'm hoping the weather will remain the same this afternoon," said the buoyant Brazilian, "This time isn't a bluff - McLaren and Ferrari never tried new tyres in the dry session, but I have a lot of confidence for the race and it's very difficult to overtake here. I am really hoping for a place on the podium at least."

Rubens ended five-hundredths ahead of Coulthard, continuing his previous week's form in the McLaren, a tenth in front of Hakkinen. Ralf Schumacher put his Williams ahead of the Ferraris, Eddie ahead of Michael, from Frentzen, a happy Hill, Zanardi and Zonta. It started raining during that session.

Did Rubens mean he wanted it to keep raining when he asked for similar conditions? Had the Ferraris blown their bolt by sitting out that first session, or were they just biding their time? We'll never know, as the rain came down - and never stopped – until well after the chequered flag was shown after qualifying...

Conditions were far from ideal, and no one ventured out for a while early in the flooded qualifying session, but four men - Barrichello, Alesi and the Prosts of Trulli and Panis - ventured out, risking the extreme conditions to set a time.

So after half an hour, Barrichello led Alesi, Panis and Trulli, with the rest sitting out the session – in what turned out to be their behest.

Alesi was initially quickest, but Rubens, worried about the conditions worsening, took a chance on a flyer. "The weather man came and told me it was going to rain after 15 minutes of the session. I saw Jean was 1.5 seconds faster and I know he is really good in the wet. I said 'I must push on this lap because it is now or never'. It was tricky but I managed a fast time."

When the sluice gates opened – both the sky's and the pitlane's - the drama really started. Most had hoped that conditions would improve, McLaren's Dave Ryan commenting, "the team's waiting to pick the right moment to get the drivers out," while those that did venture out reported difficult times. "It's incredible, very difficult, but I'm happy to get one fast lap in," commented Panis, in what transpired to be a prophetic moment.

Following jeers from the bored French crowd, drivers slowly ventured out, in what were worsening conditions, Frentzen first, later admitting, "It was a mistake not to go out sooner." But his time would eventually stand him good for fifth.

As more drivers ventured out, it was clear that a shambles was set to ensue. Zanardi, Hakkinen, Michael Schumacher and Eddie Irvine each had their turns at spinning, and after three-quarters of an hour, the top of the order remained as they were after the early minutes, with only fourteen men having been out.

With ten minutes to go, a world champion was outside the 107% qualifying rule, as were Zonta, Hill, Takagi, Irvine, Gene, Wurz, Badoer, Herbert, de la Rosa and Fisichella. Surely force majeur would see that rule waived for this race...

Damon's problems continued with a fire in the pits, forcing him into his mule. Coulthard put it into the gravel after a terrific lap that saw him steal fourth on a treacherous track. "Given the conditions in which we ran I'm happy with my lap times," he later said. Tora Takagi executed a fine 360 degree linear rotation and Michael Schumacher drove around the stranded McLaren after he too went off, while Irvine too, had another big spin.

Michael's efforts earned him sixth though. "We chose to go out late, because usually, other cars improve the conditions on the racing line. Today this did not happen and so we learned something new."

So despite their best efforts, no-one could dislodge the trio who risked an early quick lap and Rubens Barrichello sat on pole – his second, and Stewart-Ford's first ever, costing Jackie a Rolex for an old bet... "Jackie reminded me about the watch right after qualifying. That's a good thing for a Scotsman to do," joked an exstatic Rubens. "This was just like Spa in '94 and it feels great. It was the right time to be out on the track. The team did a fantastic job to send me out then. We had in mind to go out straight away, but we waited to see if anyone else would go out. Gary Anderson who was there in '94 when I did it in Jordan and the engineers all made the decision together."

"I feel extremely happy," quipped second placed Jean Alesi, celebrating ten years in F1. "It is the biggest present I can get. I hope we can improve the car's reliability for the race and reach the finish. I'm confident for tomorrow."

Olivier Panis too, was delighted, "We had a good meteorologist who predicted the rain would get worse so we started early with a full wet set-up on the car,"

Elsewhere sentiments weren't too great, especially for those who qualified outside 107%, including Damon Hill. But they will all start, conditions being bad enough for the stewards to consider the last five's earlier, dry performances.

Michael Schumacher was cautious. "If the conditions are the same for the race it will be very dangerous indeed, I almost lost it on the straight, so I hope it will be dry and everyone can have a normal race."

But qualifying was a a disaster for some. The reigning world champion, Mika Hakkinen, ended fourteenth, Eddie Irvine sixteenth. "Well, it is impossible to make excuses because the weather conditions were the same for everybody," Mika reminisced. "It just felt as though the yellow flags were worse for me! I wasn't confident in the car and that's why I have qualified in fourteenth position. But then again you have to be positive and optimistic for the race tomorrow - after all that is when you score the points." Eddie Irvine, way down after a stunning test session last week, was forthright too: "It was a major tactical error not to go out early. I found my car difficult to drive on these tyres and was aquaplaning everywhere. [However,] my grid position will make for a very exciting race!"

And that, friends, is exactly what the French Grand Prix promises to be... an exciting race!

A very different front row sees another car besides a Ferrari or McLaren on pole for the first time since Austria last year and then a long, long time before then. But Panis, in third, is difficult enough to pass when he's being lapped, so Coulthard, Frentzen and Michael Schumacher will want to jump the Prost off the line on a circuit that's difficult enough to pass on, all on its own, and where they will not have blue flags to help them by.

A jumbled middle order will prove a magnificent challenge to Hakkinen and Irvine, and it's going to be hell on that first lap – and well into the race as well, as a result. Tactics are also going to be crucial.

One thing's for sure, tomorrow's set to be a cracker of a race, whatever the conditions. Don't miss it – for anything!