US GP QUALIFYING 1 R Barrichello 1:10.223 2 M Schumacher 1:10.400 3 T Sato 1:10.601 4 J Button 1:10.820 5 JP Montoya 1:11.062 6 R Schumacher 1:11.106 7 K Raikkonen 1:11.137 8 O Panis 1:11.167 Grid positions in full

Barrichello set a lap of one minute 10.223 seconds to edge out the world champion by 0.177secs.

It was the Brazilian's first pole position since the Japanese Grand Prix in October last year.

BAR drivers Takuma Sato and Jenson Button will start third and fourth with McLaren's David Coulthard back in 12th.

Barrichello, who was the last driver to go out, has been in impressive form this weekend and despite a slow first sector, made amends with a blistering middle section to make up time on Schumacher.

"It's a wonderful time for me," said Barrichello, who pushed his team-mate hard in last weekend's Canadian Grand Prix.

"There are loads of Brazilians out there and I had a positive run going out. It was nice because I could almost here them shouting.

"But it's been a good week so far. It was an easy lap in qualifying. I just drove on the limit and tried not to make a mistake and I finally grabbed my first pole of the season."

The world championship leader, who was chasing his 61st career pole, paid the price for a disappointing middle section.

Trying to beat the Ferraris will be very difficult as we have seen so far this season, but that is our aim and we will try Takuma Sato

"I'm pleased," Schumacher said. "We're both on the front row, although naturally I would have preferred the other position, but Rubens did a better job."

Schumacher had to go out in the middle of the session because he had been only eighth fastest in pre-qualifying and said he was pleased not to end up lower down the grid.

"I struggled in the mid-sector, had to fight far too much oversteer in there and I lost reasonable time and there was obviously the doubt that I would keep that position.

"Actually, I was expecting to drop further back," he said.

Sato said he did not expect to be able to take on the Ferraris for victory.

"To win any Grand Prix would mean everything. Trying to beat the Ferraris will be very difficult as we have seen so far this season, but that is our aim and we will try," he said.

"They're always strong in the race but we have found some consistency, so we're pretty much hoping."

Button said he regretted making a change to the car between first and second qualifying with left him with too much oversteer.

"In hindsight I wish we had kept the car as it was. I wasn't very happy when I got out of the car but fourth is better than I thought I thought we were going to end up." he said.

The Williams pair of Juan Pablo Montoya and Ralf Schumacher bounced back from their disqualification in Canada to finish fifth and sixth.

Finland's Kimi Raikkonen, in a McLaren, was seventh fastest and lines up next to Toyota's French veteran Olivier Panis, who is competing in his 150th Grand Prix.

Renault had a dreadful session. Fernando Alonso was only ninth fastest and Monaco winner Jarno Trulli failed to complete his lap because of problems with the electronics in his steering wheel, which affected the gearbox.