IMOLA, Italy, April 19 (UPI) -- Defending champion Michael Schumacher took the pole Saturday for the Formula One San Marino Grand Prix.
Schumacher, the five-time world champion, drove his Ferrari in one minute 22.327 seconds around the 3.065-mile track to beat younger brother Ralf by less than a fifth of a second for his second pole this year and 53rd of his career.
The brothers competed Saturday after spending most of last week at a hospital in Cologne, Germany to be with their mother, who has lapsed into a coma.
Michael Schumacher has yet to finish on the podium in three grand prixs this season, but has won at Imola three of the past four years and four times overall.
Ralf Schumacher recorded his first career F1 victory at the San Marino Grand Prix in 2001, while last year he was third.
Brazilian Rubens Barrichelo, Michael's teammate at Ferrari, qualified third with Williams BMW's Juan Montoya of Colombia on the outside of the second row.
Barrichello has one second-place in Malaysia but failed to finish in the other two races. He and Michael Schumacher will try to reverse their slow starts this year in front of Ferrari's home fans.
The car manufacturer's base at Maranello, a suburb of Modena, is 60 miles northwest of Imola.
Mark Webber of Australia maintained his good early season form by qualifying fifth for Jaguar Racing to edge out the McLaren Mercedes of championship leader Kimi Raikkonen of Finland. Jacques Villeneuve of Canada and Fernando Alonso of Spain comprise row 4.
David Coulthard, who is nine points behind McLaren teammate Raikkonen in the standings, will start 12th after he was outqualified by the Finn for the first time this season.
Coulthard has finished in the top six in the last five years at Imola and won from the pole in 1998.
Dutchman Jos Verstappen did not post a time in his Minardi after sliding into the tire barriers on his qualifying lap, causing the session to be red flagged while the car was hoisted off the circuit. Verstappen will start last in the 20-car field.
