Lapwatch: San Marino GP qualifying

All the action from qualifying for the San Marino Grand Prix at Imola. All times BST

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Top three positions at the end of qualifying:

• 1. Michael Schumacher
• 2. Rubens Barrichello
• 3. Ralf Schumacher

1300: An amazing drive from Michael Schumacher wins pole position in a dramatic conclusion to qualifying. A superb time of 1:21.091 puts him at the front of the grid for the 44th time.

1259: Colombian Montoya loses speed in the middle sector and can not improve on his fastest time.

1259: Ralf Schumacher runs wide - losing four tenths of a second in the sector - and his chance of pole disappears.

1258: Clouds thicken overhead and the track temperature drops as Michael Schumacher sets off for the last time.

1257: Fisichella finsihes his last lap and for the first time this season fails to record a faster time than his Japanese team-mate Takuma Sato.

Schumacher snatched pole with his last lap

1255: A hugely disappointing qualifying session ends for Yoong as he spins off.

1253: Alex Yoong begins his final run and is desperate to improve - he is 3.3 seconds slower than anyone else. He has mysteriously spent the last 30 minutes in the pits, although there does not seem to a problem with his car.

1250: With 10 miutes of qualifying remaining, the top three positions are:

• 1. Rubens Barrichello
• 2. Michael Schumacher
• 3. Ralf Schumacher

1249: Heinz-Harald Frentzen has the track to himself. Currently in 12th place, he is looking for something extra from his Arrows car.

1246: Pole position remains elusive for the world champion. Michael Shumacher eclipses his brother Ralf's time, but can not displace Barrichello.

1245: Michael Schumacher sets off on his third lap as he chases the time his team-mate Barrichello has set.

1243: Coulthard is experiencing understeer, and the McLaren team are working hard to rectify the problem. The Scot begins another lap, hoping the car has been fixed.

1240: Michael Schumacher remains in third place. The German has looked ragged on his two laps so far.

1234: Coulthard moves up into sixth place, but is still finding it difficult to challenge the leaders.

1233: Giancarlo Fisichella is back out on the track in the spare Jordan after changing cars due to technical problems.

1228: A new target is set by Barrichello, who claims provisional pole position with a stunning 1:21.155. The time is two seconds under the current qualifying lap record.

1226: McLaren continue to struggle as Kimi Raikkonen can only produce the fifth-fastest lap, despite being the quickest man in the final sector.

1224: Coulthard is out on the track, but looks off the pace and ends his first lap in a disappointing eighth place.

1221: Ralf Schumacher produces an immediate response, recording 1:21.630 to snatch back the lead.

1220: A Williams car is fastest for the first time this weekend as Montoya takes provisional pole with 1:21.864.

Barrichello and Ferrari are showing good speed

1219: Michael Schumacher runs wide on a couple of corners as he drives over-aggressively, and is only second-fastest so far.

1217: The second Ferrari takes the track as world champion Michael Schumacher makes his first appearance in qualifying.

1215: Rubens Barrichello, in the new Ferrari, sets a time of 1:22.242 with his first lap.

1214: Nick Heidfeld moves into second place as the track begins to speed up.

1211: There is bad news for David Coulthard, who has yet to appear. His McLaren team are busy rebuilding his car's engine.

1210: Juan Pablo Montoya opens up with a relatively slow first lap, and lies in second place - over half a second down on Ralf Schumacher.

1209: Ralf Schumacher sets the fastest time of the weekend with 1:22.651.

1208: The expected rush of drivers has not yet materialised with only seven or eight cars on the track.

1207: Jacques Villeneuve takes to the track.

1203: Minardi's Alex Yoong opens his qualification with 1 minute 28.499 seconds.

1201: Arrows driver Enrique Bernoldi suffers an immediate problem as his engine blows on his first lap.

1200: Qualifying begins at Imola, where rain is forecast and the drivers are expected out early.