Fuel problem puts pressure on Schumacher.

Michael Schumacher was in a phlegmatic mood after his fragile title hopes took another, possibly fatal battering in qualifying for the Brazilian Grand Prix, a fuel pressure problem leaving him in tenth and with plenty of work to do to win his final race.

Needing to win and for Fernando Alonso not to score, Schumacher had looked on course for at least a front row slot after both he and Ferrari team-mate Felipe Massa swept the board in both knockout sessions prior to the top ten shootouts.

However, having seen his car's bullet-proof reliability record literally go up in smoke in Japan, it was the turn of a fuel pressure problem to prevent him from setting a time in the final session, the seven-time world champion completing one slow lap before coasting into the pit lane.

Despite the problem being identified early, Ferrari were unable to get Schumacher out, something that will force him to start his final race from a lacklustre tenth place and potentially with the greatest challenge of his 15 year career.

"Of course I am disappointed, but these things can happen. At the start of Q3, the car had a fuel pressure problem and all I could do was cruise round slowly back to the pits. Now we have to find out how it happened and try and make the best of this situation.

Still, Schumacher was full of praise for team-mate Massa, the Brazilian having dominated to take pole position by almost seven tenths. Schumacher admits he hopes he can take the victory in front of his home fans, the German inadvertently suggesting that he has given up on his own title aspirations.

"Sure, it's a big handicap starting from tenth place. The only good part of today is that Felipe is on pole which must be very satisfying for him here at his home race. I hope that tomorrow he can win the race."