World champion Michael Schumacher served up a dream front row for Sunday's European FormulaOne Grand Prix by seizing pole position ahead of younger brother Ralf.
The Ferrari driver's shattering time of one minute 14.960 seconds was two and a half seconds quicker than last year's pole time set by McLaren'sDavid Coulthard and nearly four seconds faster than the race lap record.
Ralf, in a Williams, was a mere 0.266 seconds slower in the hour-long qualifying session.
It was the 39th pole of Schumacher's career.
Ralf's Colombian team mate Juan Pablo Montoya was third fastest, ahead of the second Ferrari driven by Brazilian Rubens Barrichello.
Championship challenger Coulthard was fifth fastest, ahead of his team mate Mika Hakkinen in sixth place.
The outcome of the German brothers' qualifying battle was unchanged from their last attempt in Canada two weeks ago, when Michael was onpole although his younger brother went on to win the race.
This time Ralf looked to have the measure of his brother, who has been on pole already six times in eight races this season, but championshipleader Michael dashed the 25-year-old's hopes of a career first.
With almost half an hour of the session gone, Ralf produced the fastest lap yet seen at the Nuerburgring and was followed by Montoya as Williamsstaked their claims for the front row.
Ralf shaved his time of one minute 15.335 seconds down to 1:15.226 but then Michael pulled off his master stroke with less than 19 minutesremaining to give the army of Schumacher fans camped around the circuit plenty to look forward to.
The Jordans of Jarno Trulli and Heinz-Harald Frentzen are in seventh and eighth place while Eddie Irvine took twelfth.