Saturday, October 16, 1999 Published at 10:18 GMT 11:18 UK
Schumacher grabs pole
Michael Schumacher's trip to the new Grand Prix has paid off
Ferarri's Michael Schumacher made a sensational return to Grand Prix racing, taking pole position for Sunday's Malaysian Grand Prix just three months after breaking his leg.
It is Ferrari's first one-two on the front row for almost a year, and a massive blow to title rivals Mika Hakkinen and McLaren.
The Finn, defending world champion, qualified fourth, behind team-mate David Coulthard of Britain.
"My plan is to go flat out from the start and we will see what the positions are at the end and then make what decision is necessary," said the German.
Asked to clarify whether that meant he would let Irvine overtake him if they were lying first and second late in the 56-lap race, Schumacher said: "Yes."
The 30-year-old insists his first priority is to Ferrari's Constructors' championship challenge although Irvine believes the drivers' title comes first.
With championship leader Hakkinen having the chance to clinch the title in this first Malaysian event, Ferrari needed to pull out all the stops.
"I could never have expected this," said Schumacher.
"We expected to be strong, but to be a second ahead is very surprising. The team did a great effort.
"We have made a big step and the car is very good. I did 40 laps yesterday and almost 40 laps today and am feeling in good shape so my leg should not be a problem."
Irvine said: "The potential of the car has always been there, but this is the first time we have been able to show it.
"To have an all-Ferrari front row when you consider what we are trying to achieve is really good.
Coulthard snatched third place on the grid in the final seconds of a hot and humid session, but the advantage will be purely psychological when team orders come into play.
"I will not be making it difficult for Mika to pass me," admitted Coulthard who got the better of the Finn by just 0.071 of-a-second.
"We have got a lot of work to do tonight."
But Heinz-Harald Frentzen's faint title hopes appear to have taken a fatal blow, since the German could only manage 14th-fastest in the Jordan, behind team-mate Damon Hilll, who was ninth-quickest.
1. Michael Schumacher, Germany, Ferrari, 1 minute, 39.688
seconds, 200.136 kph (124.388 mph)
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