WillaimsF1 Malaysian GP Friday Qualifying

For qualifying the one lap qualifying format would see the winner of the Australian Grand Prix taking to the track first. This would mean that Ralf will hit the track as eighth driver, Juan Pablo second.

Coulthard would be the first to take to the track, but he would only set a time of 1m:36.297. Quickly this would be passed by Juan Pablo with a lap of 1m:35.939. McLaren team-mate Raikkonen would move into second. But just as quickly Ferrari's Michael Schumacher would move to the top of the times with a 1m:34.980, a full second ahead of Juan Pablo. His time would beat pole last years pole time of 1m:35.266.

Renault driver Jarno Trulli would go fifth with a 1m:36.301, just slightly better than his practice time. Next would come Frentzen, but he would only set a time of 1m:36.615 over 1.6secs behind Michael. Fernando Alonso must have been encouraged by his earlier Friday time but come qualifying he would slip down to tenth with a lap of 1m:36.693, fourth tenths slower than his practice time.

Now it would be the turn of Ralf to take to the track. But like so many drivers so far he would come away very disappointed only been able to set a time of 1m:36.805, 1.8secs behind his brother. Things are going to be very difficult for him to make up such a large time deficit as Friday is more a true indication of the car/drivers pace.

Behind Ralf would come Jacques Villeneuve in ninth, after losing time when he made a mistake in the third sector, but Alonso, Ralf, and Villeneuve would all be pushed down one place when BAR driver Jenson Button would go seventh. Minardi's Jos Verstappen would move into eleventh but he would not stay there for long as his lap time of 1m:38.904 was nearly four seconds behind Michael.

For Jordan driver Giancarlo Fisichella he would have a good run and put himself ahead of Ralf in ninth, pushing Ralf down to tenth. Ralf's weekend was certainly not going as well as it did in 2002. For the Jaguar team things continued to go badly with Pizzonia stalling his car in the pits and coming back into the pits after one lap. Pizzonia would finish last in the times. Team-mate Mark Webber would go fourteenth which is not too bad considering his lack of track time.

Sauber's Nick Heidfeld would set an excellent time moving into sixth, pushing several drivers down the order. This would include Ralf who was now down in eleventh. Nick would be one pace ahead of team-mate Frentzen.

Toyota's Oliver Panis was now in twelfth with team-mate Da Matta setting an excellent time that would see him finish in tenth position. he may have gone better had it not been for a mistake in the third sector. As a result of the performance of Da Matta Ralf would again be pushed down the times, now been in twelfth.

But the one driver who was expected to challenge Michael was Rubens Barrichello and when he had completed his lap he would gone second, pushing Juan Pablo into third and Ralf down into a lowly thirteenth. But even Rubens with 0.7sec behind the world champion.

Come Saturday both WilliamsF1 drivers are going to have a lot of work to do in order to compete with the Ferrari pair. Come qualifying the Ralf will start eighth and Juan Pablo as eighteenth driver.