But Ralf was not the only front runner to be affected by the tricky conditions. Räikkönen, Michael Schumacher, and Jarno Trulli would all suffer. This would produce a grid that was far from what one expected to see.

Qualifying would start with the track cloudy, with the possibility of rain later in the session. Minardi's Nicolas Kiesa would be first out. 34.0 sec in the first sector for Kiesa, ending his lap with a time of 1m:37:226. Team-mate Jos Verstappen was next. 32.8 sec for the first sector for Jos, 42.5 for the second sector, finishing his lap with a time of 1m:34:975, 2.251 seconds quicker than Kiesa. Jordan's Giancarlo Fisichella was next, this been his last race for Jordan. Fisichella would be nearly two seconds faster than Verstappen in the first sector, 32.6 sec. He would qualify with a time of 1m:34:912 to go fastest. Team-mate Ralph Firman was next and he would take provisional pole with a time of 1m:34:771.

Honda's Jenson Button was the next driver, this been Honda's home Grand Prix. He would be the first driver to go under 32 seconds in the first sector, 31.9 sec. Button would easily beat Firman's time, with a lap of 1m:33:474, 1.297 seconds faster. The next group would be lead off by Jaguar's Justin Wilson. Wilson would be half a second down on Button in the first sector. He would qualify second with a time of 1m:33:558.

Toyota's Cristiano da Matta was next. Da Matta is 0.3 seconds quicker than Button in the first sector, faster again in the second, ending his lap with a time of 1m:32.419, 1.055 seconds quicker than Button. Team-mate Panis is next and he would qualify in second position behind da Matta. His time was 1m:32.862.

Sauber's Heinz Harald Frentzen, in possibly his last Formula One qualifying, would struggle losing time in all sectors to finish in fifth position. BAR's 2004 driver Takuma Sato was out next. His first sector time was a 32.2 sec, finishing his lap in a disappointing sixth position with a time of 1m:33.924, nearly a full five tenths behind Button's current third
place time.

Next out was Sauber's Nick Heidfeld, his first sector time of 32.1 sec five tenths slower than da Matta. 42.0 sec in the second sector would see him another four tenths down. He would finish in fifth position, with a time of 1m:33.632. Jaguar's Mark Webber was out on his lap but he would be slower in the first sector, equals da Matta's second sector time of 41.6, and completes his lap with a time of 1m:33.106 to be third.

BMW WilliamsF1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya would begin his flying lap and in the first sector would be a a tenth slower than da Matta. he would Montoya get that tenth back though in the second sector 41.5 sec, to go fastest and take provisional pole with a time of 1m:32:412. But as the next driver prepared to take his qualifying lap heavy rain would start to fall.

Despite this Rubens Barrichello was able to go fastest in the first sector 31.4 sec, completing his lap in the tricky conditions with a time of 1m:31.713 to go into first position. He would lead Juan Pablo by a comfortable 0.699 seconds. Renault's Fernando Alonso was next completing the first sector in 31.8 seconds as the rain started to ease off. He would qualify in fifth position, with a time of 1m:33.044. Alonso appeared to have difficulty handling the greasy track conditions.

Raikkonen was next out on the track and would complete the first sector with a disappointing time of 32.2 sec, the rain obviously affecting the remaining runners. Kimi would claim back some of the lost time in the last sector with the best time of the day 18.9 sec. This would only see him qualify in seventh position, a time of 1m:33.272.

David Coulthard, using the spare car after Raikkonen borrowed his race car for the remainder of the weekend, was next. Coulthard would qualify his McLaren MP 4-17D in seventh position pushing Raikkonen down to eighth. Coulthard's time was a 1m:33.37. Ferrari's Michael Schumacher would struggle right across all the sectors ending in fourteenth position after a lap of 1m:34.302. The conditions are certainly having a dramatic affect on the grid.

Ralf Schumacher was up next, but Barrichello's pole position time looked very safe given the track conditions. But Ralf would make a mistake at turn nine, putting his tyres onto the grass and spinning off. He would continue and return to the pits without setting a time. As a result Ralf will start the race from last on the grid.

For Renault's Jarno Trulli such were the conditions that he would abort his lap and parks his car without setting a time. He will join Ralf at the back of the grid. He may have decided that running on dry tyres in the conditions was not worth the risk.

So Ferrari's Ruben's Barrichello will start the Japanese Grand Prix tomorrow for pole position. WilliamsF1's Juan Pablo Montoya is second and for the Toyota team da Matta and Panis are in third and fourth positions. Championship contender Kimi Raikkonen will be starting tomorrow's race in a very disappointing seventh position, but his rival Michael Schumacher is down in fourteenth.

Fifth through to seventh are Alonso, Webber and Coulthard. Even if the race is run under dry conditions the grid is certainly going to make for an interesting race come Sunday.