Hakkinen pips Schumacher for pole in last lap thriller
It was in the closing seconds of practice, with a yellow flag on the track causing him to "drive with caution," that Mika Hakkinen snatched the pole position for Sunday's Monaco Grand Prix after a thrilling battle with the Ferrari of Michael Schumacher.
"The mechanics and the engineers did a fantastic job of improving the car with every run. The car got quicker and quicker. I could have gone a bit quicker, but I lifted my hand when I saw the yellow flag," said Hakkinen after the 14th pole position of his career and every one since the start of the season. David Coulthard also took his best time in the closing seconds. "I have to admit it was a relief to go from sixth to third at the last moment," said David.
Michael happy but disappointed
"If you had told me in Imola that we would have been where we are today I would have been happy, but with what happened today I am not so happy," said Michael Schumacher, who ended up second on te grid for the Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro team.
"My third run would have been the fastest, but Prost's Olivier Panis got in my way just before the end of the lap and I had to give it up. I used my spare car after this morning, which wasn't quite as good. There were some small differences, although it should be OK for tomorrow," he added. He claimed his fourth run and the chance to defend his pole position was compromised by the yellow flags for Hill's car. Eddie Irvine was happy with the fourth fastest time and a place on the second row. " I made a mistake on my second run and was slower, but my third run was better and the second row here is not so bad," commented Eddie.
Barrichello heads row three for Stewart
Rubens Barrichello was happy to be fifth fastest just behind such exalted company. "To be any quicker than that we would have to improve the grip from the car," he said. Johnny Herbert was unable to better 13th fastest, the Englishman blaming the yellow flags for Damon Hill for not improving his time.
Frentzen a frustrated sixth
Heinz Harald Frentzen reckoned he could have bettered Rubens Barrichello's best and perhaps even better but for the fact that his final flying lap was spoiled by his own mistake. "I was up on my first section time, but then I did something I have never done before and got my hand jammed between the side of the cockpit and the steering wheel going into the chicane. I couldn't turn into the corner," said Frentzen who failed to beat his previous best lap and slipped back to sixth spot. Damon Hill had a gearbox problem and stopped out on the track after his final lap, although his best lap before that did not better 17th overall.
Jarno Trulli takes row four for Prost
Despite a brush with his barriers on his second run, it was the lap that saw Jarno Trulli take seventh fastest time for Prost, his third run spoiled when he spun and stalled at St Devote while a fourth run in his spare car was no better.
In brief...
Marc Gene had a troubled practice for Minardi. The Spaniard damaged one car when a rear wing fell off exiting the tunnel. He took the spare car and then knocked a wheel off that at Tabac. Both Benetton drivers reckoned they couldn't have done any better than ninth and tenth which is where Fisichella and Wurz ended up. BAR were happy with a ninth spot for Villeneuve and 12th for Salo. "For the first time here, it shows we are making progress," said Craig Pollock.
Jean Alesi was not happy with 14th place for Sauber. He was only just ahead of Diniz in 15th spot after his final run was spoiled by his team mate when they sent Alesi out too close behind him for his final run.
Weather: warm, dry, sunny.
All timing unofficial
Monaco Qualifying Results
Pos Driver Team Time
1. Hakkinen Mclaren Mercedes 1:20.547 150.486 kmph
2. M.Schumacher Ferrari 1:20.611 + 0.064
3. Coulthard Mclaren Mercedes 1:20.956 + 0.409
4. Irvine Ferrari 1:21.011 + 0.464
5. Barrichello Stewart Ford 1:21.530 + 0.983
6. Frentzen Jordan Mugen-Honda 1:21.556 + 1.009
7. Trulli Prost Peugeot 1:21.769 + 1.222
8. Villeneuve BAR Supertec 1:21.827 + 1.280
9. Fisichella Benetton Playlife 1:21.938 + 1.391
10. Wurz Benetton Playlife 1:21.968 + 1.421
11. Zanardi Williams Supertec 1:22.152 + 1.605
12. Salo BAR Supertec 1:22.241 + 1.694
13. Herbert Stewart Ford 1:22.248 + 1.701
14. Alesi Sauber Petronas 1:22.354 + 1.807
15. Diniz Sauber Petronas 1:22.659 + 2.112
16. R.Schumacher Williams Supertec 1:22.719 + 2.172
17 Hill Jordan Mugen-Honda 1:22.832 + 2.285 *
18 Panis Prost Peugeot 1:22.916 + 2.369 *
19. Takagi Arrows TWR 1:23.290 + 2.743
20. Badoer Minardi Ford 1:23.765 + 3.218
21. De La Rosa Arrows TWR 1:24.260 + 3.713
22. Gene Minardi Ford 1:24.914 + 4.367
* Panis' fastest lap was disqualified and therefore he was demoted from 17th to 18th, allowing Hill to climb one place up on the grid.