Schumacher survives crash

Schumacher survives crash
Agence France Presse

Melbourne, March 2: World champion Michael Schumacher emerged unscathed from a spectacular crash late in the second practice session today for the Australian Formula I Grand Prix.

He appeared to lose control of his Ferrari as it spun into gravel and then flipped twice before coming to rest. Schumacher quickly removed his helmet and jumped out of the mangled wreckage.

His tumble took the gloss of a big day for Ferrari with No.2 driver Rubens Barrichello going well under last year’s pole position time with one minute 28.965 seconds for the 5.303 kilometre Albert Park circuit.

That was a stunning 1.591 seconds quicker than Mika Hakkinen’s 1:30.556 time in claiming the pole position for last year’s race. As Schumacher was spinning through the air, he lost his place as second fastest when Jordan’s Jarno Trulli jumped him with 1:29.267.

Schumacher was denied the opportunity of beating his best effort of 1:29.284 with his unfortunate crash and only minutes left in the afternoon session.The crash repeated Schumacher’s mishap in unofficial practice at last year’s Australian GP. On that occasion he lost control and ploughed through gravel and into the tyre barrier, snapping off two wheels.

Trulli gatecrashed his way into the top bracket after Ferrari and McLaren, last year’s two top teams, had dominated the opening practice session. After the two sessions, Ferrari were first and third fastest and McLaren’s David Coulthard (1:29.324) and Hakkinen (1:29.799) were fourth and fifth quickest.

Ralf Schumacher , third in last year’s race behind his brother Michael, was sixth fastest in 1:30.277.