Ferrari's Michael Schumacher seized pole position on Saturday for what could be a record-equalling home German Grand Prix.
The six-times world champion, chasing his 11th win in 12 races to equal his record number of victories in a season, was 0.362 of a second quicker than Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya's Williams.
It was the German's 61st career pole position, four short of Brazilian Ayrton Senna's Formula One record, and sixth of the season as well as being his first since his other home Grand Prix at the Nuerburgring in May.
Briton Jenson Button, in a BAR, was third quickest in qualifying but lost 10 places on the grid due to an engine change on Friday.
That left McLaren duo Kimi Raikkonen and David Coulthard third and fourth, with Spaniard Fernando Alonso and Italian Jarno Trulli filling the third row ahead of Ferrari's Brazilian Rubens Barrichello and Japan's Takuma Sato in a BAR.
Ferrari can clinch the constructors' title for the sixth year in a row on Sunday if they beat second-placed Renault by 13 points.
Provisional starting grid for Sunday's German Grand Prix:
1. Michael Schumacher (Germany) Ferrari one minute 13.306 seconds
2. Juan Pablo Montoya (Colombia) Williams 1:13.667
3. Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) McLaren 1:13.690
4. David Coulthard (Britain) McLaren 1:13.821
5. Fernando Alonso (Spain) Renault 1:13.874
6. Jarno Trulli (Italy) Renault 1:14.134
7. Rubens Barrichello (Brazil) Ferrari 1:14.278
8. Takuma Sato (Japan) BAR 1:14.287
9. Olivier Panis (France) Toyota 1:14.368
10. Antonio Pizzonia (Brazil) Williams 1:14.556
11. Mark Webber (Australia) Jaguar 1:14.802
12. Christian Klien (Austria) Jaguar 1:15.011
*13. Jenson Button (Britain) BAR 1:13.673
14. Giancarlo Fisichella (Italy) Sauber 1:15.395
15. Cristiano da Matta (Brazil) Toyota 1:15.454
16. Felipe Massa (Brazil) Sauber 1:15.616
17. Giorgio Pantano (Italy) Jordan 1:16.192
18. Nick Heidfeld (Germany) Jordan 1:16.310
19. Gianmaria Bruni (Italy) Minardi 1:18.055
20. Zsolt Baumgartner (Hungary) Minardi 1:18.400
* Button qualified third but drops 10 places after having an engine changed
