MICHAEL SCHUMACHER claimed the 66th pole position of a remarkable career with top spot in qualifying for the San Marino Grand Prix at Imola to set a new Formula One record. The Ferrari driver eclipsed Ayrton Senna's pole position record at a fitting venue, the Italian track where 12 years ago the great Brazilian took his 65th pole before a fatal accident on race day.

Schumacher, who famously broke down in tears after matching Senna's win tally, kept his emotions in check despite claiming the only meaningful record to have eluded him in Formula One.

Obviously it has a special meaning to me but right now there is so much focus on what comes next that I don't pay too much attention to it.

The record is less important, you look at it when you've finished racing."

Schumacher, who is chasing his first real win for 18 months, claimed his dominant display in qualifying came as little surprise. Ferrari have been back on form this weekend after a disappointing start to the season, helped by Bridgestone tyres which are well suited to Imola, and Schumacher expected to be the man to beat.

?It's not too much of a surprise, " said the seven-time champion after pipping Jenson Button to top spot. ?We have been quick in testing.

We were quick as well in Australia but we couldn't really do it at all times. With the car we had, getting a pole position was sort of obvious at one stage."

Schumacher's focus is now on a return to winning ways and he took encouragement from a low-key performance from world champion Fernando Alonso, who qualified fifth for Renault. He added:

But the race it is important and this is just one step towards it. Seeing where Fernando is, this is great for us.

Here I think we can show our very strong race pace and we hope it is good enough to beat the rest, that's what it comes down to."

While Schumacher is content he has the race pace to end Renault's winning streak, question marks remain over the Sunday speed of Button and third-placed teammate Rubens Barrichello. Button is rapidly becoming a qualifying master and will start from the front row for the third consecutive race. But his optimism is tempered by the bitter disappointment of Australia three weeks ago, when he took pole only to find his Honda was too slow over a race distance to challenge for the win.

The 26-year-old believes Honda have fixed some of his troubles but concedes tomorrow is the ultimate test of their progress. ?We've done a lot of work overnight and we've really improved it. We needed to because we were quite a long way off yesterday.

I am much happier with the car now. We are reasonably happy we have solved a few of our issues, it's just whether we have solved them all. I am hoping we have . . . I wouldn't be here smiling if not. This is only qualifying, tomorrow's the main thing."

Barrichello's third place ends a terrible run of form and he starts alongside his replacement at Ferrari, fellow Brazilian Felipe Massa, on the second row. Alonso lines up fifth but he will have to fight to maintain Renault's unbeaten record in 2006 on his own after teammate Giancarlo Fisichella qualified down in 11th.

McLaren were also among those expected to challenge but Juan Pablo Montoya, in his spare car, and Kimi Raikkonen were some way short of Schumacher's speed on their way to seventh and eighth respectively.

Ralf Schumacher is sixth for Toyota while Red Bull's David Coulthard was down in 14th. The Scot admits he will be hard pushed to score points tomorrow. He said: ?It's disappointing but we understand the challenge we face and we are not scared of it."