Michael Schumacher took his 68th pole position here in Magny-Cours this afternoon, underlying that his success in Indianapolis was not just due to any Michelin conservatism but also Bridgestone’s improved performance. The former champion looked strong all day and lapped his Ferrari in 1m 15.493s to seal the issue just as arch-rival Fernando Alonso posted 1m 15.785s for Renault and Michelin. It was not quite the result that the partisan crowd had expected, and it will be fascinating to see on Sunday which of them has the greater fuel load.