Monaco, May 26: Veteran Michael Schumacher rolled back the years and defied critics by posting the fastest time in an action-packed Monaco Grand Prix qualifying session Saturday, although the German lost pole position to Mark Webber's Red Bull due to a grid penalty.
Webber beat Nico Rosberg's time on his final lap, only for the 43-year-old Schumacher to surpass Webber's effort just moments later in a thrilling finale, clocking a time of 1 minute, 14.301 seconds. Webber managed 1:14.381.
The grid penalty Schumacher incurred at the Spanish Grand Prix -- where he crashed into Bruno Senna's Williams -- means he will start from sixth on Sunday. Schumacher, who first secured a pole position in Monaco back in 1994, last secured a pole position six years ago before retiring until 2010.
Although he will be demoted at Sunday's race, he said he felt a sense of accomplishment.
"It has taken a little bit longer than I might have wanted in the second chapter of my career, but that makes it even sweeter," Schumacher said. "It's just beautiful. Of course it's unfortunate I won't start from the front, but that's how it is."
Webber was quick to praise Schumacher's effort.
"The session belonged to Michael," Webber said. He won in Monaco two years ago from pole. "In the end it was a good little battle. Michael did a good lap, fair play to him, but it's nice to move up a position, and of all places be on the front here."
After Saturday's success, Schumacher rose slowly out of his Mercedes with the trademark grin and cool nonchalance of his glory years, during which he won a record seven F1 titles. He clenched his fist as jubilant mechanics went wild and stunned fans cheered the German in a flashback of his best years.
"I'm more than thrilled," Schumacher said. He joked that he had planned this. "I told you guys in the press conference my situation would be pole, start the race from sixth and then win it."
The day got even better for Mercedes, as Rosberg will start second on the grid to bid for his second victory of the season after winning the Chinese GP.
"We have had a couple of difficult races since the win in China but there has been a lot of hard work to turn it round, and today we were on top as a team which is great to see," Rosberg said. "I am sorry that (Schumacher) must take the penalty, but that means I will be on the front row in Monaco."
McLaren's Lewis Hamilton will start third, but teammate Jenson Button failed to make the final qualifying session for the second straight race.
"It was very exciting and very tough. It was one of the toughest qualifying sessions for me for some time," Hamilton said. He's still looking for his first win of the season. "I have a good feeling about the weekend, but I have two good drivers in front of me."
It was a bad day for two-time defending champion Sebastian Vettel, who sat out the final qualifying session to save tires for the race.
Vettel, who won the race from pole position last year, scraped into the final qualifying session and then strangely opted to sit it out completely. He will start way down in ninth, with not much chance of even making the podium on a track that does not favor overtaking. Starting from the front in Monaco is more crucial than anywhere else.
"Today was a bit mixed up for me," Vettel said. "It was looking very good in the morning, then we did a step in the wrong direction and ended up with a not very good car in qualifying."
Button won Monaco in 2009 and his only world title that year. Just like in Barcelona two weeks ago, the Briton struggled with his tires on Saturday, and will start from 12th.
"I don't have the pace. That's it really," Button said, writing off his chances for Sunday.
Sergio Perez, who suffered a concussion in a crash during qualifying at last year's Monaco race, had an eventful day.
Early in the first qualifying session, the Mexican driver flew into the crash barriers, coming through the swimming pool section and sending his left rear wheel off that prompted a red flag. The incident followed an earlier one, when Venezuelan driver Pastor Maldonado cut off Perez and incurred a 10-place grid penalty, pushing Vettel up a place for Sunday.
Others also struggled to read the sinewy curves of the Monaco track, one of the most difficult to master and arguably the most exciting race in the F1 calendar.
Kamui Kobayashi, Perez's Sauber teammate, had a narrow escape when he broke late at Sainte Devote and clipped a barrier. Sparks flew, but he regained control.
Buoyed by the first race win two weeks ago in Spain, Maldonado crashed shortly after cutting Perez off, but he was unscathed.
Paul Di Resta was also unhurt after spinning out of the tunnel and crashing the nose of his Force India into a barrier.
