Summary:

Michael Schumacher took pole of the San Marino Grand Prix today with 1:26.890. Hill was second with 1:27.105 just in front of his team-mate Villeneuve with 1:27.220.

Notes:

Spins were there by: Panis, Lamy, Herbert.

Berger and Schumacher went through the grass.

Frentzen doesn't like the drive-by-wire system in his Sauber-Ford so he will not use it. His team-mate Herbert does use the new system.

Schumacher drove with a new V10 engine which is not reliable enough to end the race so he will be using an older evolution of the V10 in the race.

The rear-left-hand suspension broke on Schumacher's car when he had just set the pole time.

Luca Badoer drove the 1996 Forti and qualified. Montermini used the 1995 Forti and failed to make the 107% rule.

Top six

1. Schumacher
2. Hill
3. Villeneuve
4. Coulthard
5. Alesi
6. Irvine