WilliamsF1 6th & 8th after French GP Qualifying

Barrichello would take to the track to start the final qualifying session. Rubens had hydraulics problem with his F2004 which stopped him from setting a time in the first qualifying session. He would finish his lap with a time of 1m:14.478 to take provisional pole. Minardi's Zsolt Baumgartner was next out and his time would be a 1m:18.247.

The second Minardi of Gianmaria Bruni would follow and he would beat his team-mate to move into second with a time of 1m:17.913. Jordan's Nick Heidfeld would start his lap and cross the line with a time of 1m:16.807 to be well ahead of the Minardi's. Jordan team-mate Giorgio Pantano would seta time that was not close to that of Heidfeld, a time of 1m:17.462.

The next group would be Fisichella, Webber, Klien, Massa, and Toyota's Olivier Panis. Fisichella was out on the circuit and he would lose time, half second through the second sector, to finish with a time of 1m:16.177 good enough for second. Webber would start his lap and would be close to Rubens through out the lap to finish with a 1m:14.798 to move into second.

Klien was next out in the second Jaguar. He would record the fastest final sector time to record a lap of 1m:15.065 to be third fastest. Sauber's Felipe Massa was out and he would finish his lap with a time of 1m:16.200 for fifth, less than a tenth down on his team-mate Fisichella. Panis was next. he would record a time of 1m:15.130 to be fourth.

The next group would consist of Cristiano da Matta, Marc Gene, Sato, Trulli, and Jenson Button. Da Matta would start his lap in the second Toyota TF104. He would be quick through sector one, the fastest through the final sector, to set a time of 1m:14.553 to move into second less than a tenth down on Barrichello.

Marc Gene would start his lap he would be very quick through sector one with a 23.9, 0.032 seconds ahead. Marc would gain time throughout the rest of the lap to take pole with a time of 1m:14.275. Takuma Sato was next out and in a brilliant final sector he would into pole with a time of 1m:14.240. Just as quickly Trulli would beat Sato's time with a 1m:14.070 to move to the top of the times.

BAR's Jenson Button was next and he would find himself on pole with a time of 1m:13.995. The final group would be Alonso, Raikkonen, Coulthard, Michael Schumacher, and Juan Pablo Montoya.

Alonso would start his lap and he would set a sensational time of 25.6 through sector two to beat Button and take pole with a time of 1m:13.698. Would Raikkonen be able to beat that time. But in a car that appeared to be running with a heavy fuel load would finish in sixth with a time of 1m:14.346. Next was team-mate Coulthard. He would finish in second with a time of 1m:13.987.

A good performance from the McLaren team with their new car. Now for Michael Schumacher. he would be 0.201 ahead after sector one, but would lose time with a mistake in the final sector that would cost him four tenths and see him in second with a time of 1m:13.971.

Montoya would start his lap and be 0.183 ahead after sector one, loses a fraction in the second, but would make a mistake in the second chicane and loses half a second to finish in sixth with a time of 1m:14.172.

So Fernando Alonso would secure pole position for the 2004 French Grand Prix, the home Grand Prix of his Renault team.

1. (16) Alonso Renault (M) 1:13.698
2. (19) M. Schumacher Ferrari (B) 1:13.971 + 0.273
3. (18) Coulthard McLaren-Mercedes (M) 1:13.987 + 0.289
4. (15) Button BAR-Honda (M) 1:13.995 + 0.297
5. (14) Trulli Renault (M) 1:14.070 + 0.372
6. (20) Montoya WilliamsF1-BMW (M) 1:14.172 + 0.474
7. (13) Sato BAR-Honda (M) 1:14.240 + 0.542
8. (12) Gene WilliamsF1-BMW (M) 1:14.275 + 0.577
9. (17) Raikkonen McLaren-Mercedes (M) 1:14.346 + 0.648
10. (1) Barrichello Ferrari (B) 1:14.478 + 0.780
11. (11) da Matta Toyota (M) 1:14.553 + 0.855
12. (7) Webber Jaguar-Cosworth (M) 1:14.798 + 1.100
13. (8) Klien Jaguar-Cosworth (M) 1:15.065 + 1.367
14. (10) Panis Toyota (M) 1:15.130 + 1.432
15. (6) Fisichella Sauber-Petronas (B) 1:16.177 + 2.479
16. (9) Massa Sauber-Petronas (B) 1:16.200 + 2.502
17. (4) Heidfeld Jordan-Ford (B) 1:16.807 + 3.109
18. (5) Pantano Jordan-Ford (B) 1:17.462 + 3.764
19. (3) Bruni Minardi-Cosworth (B) 1:17.913 + 4.215
20. (2) Baumgartner Minardi-Cosworth (B) 1:18.247 + 4.549