APRIL 2, 2002

Qualifying battles

IT is worth noting that in the three races to date only four drivers have consistently out-qualified their team mates. Even Michael Schumacher has failed to have a clean slate against Rubens Barrichello (although in races it is a rather different story). At the moment, however, Giancarlo Fisichella has outqualified Takuma Sato on all three occasions; Heinz-Harald Frentzen has outqualified Enrique Bernoldi on all three occasions (no surprise there) and Mark Webber has done the same at Minardi. Finally, Mika Salo has beaten Allan McNish on the grid in all three races.

All the other teams are split in qualifying positions.