Formula One:Ferrari's Felipe Massa will start tomorrow's Bahrain Grand Prix on pole position with McLaren's rookie sensation Lewis Hamilton on the front row for the first time.
The Brazilian powered to his second successive pole, and
Ferrari's fifth in a row, with a flying lap of 1:32.652 in today's
final qualifying session at the desert Sakhir circuit.
But the big impression was once again made by Hamilton,
aiming to become the first driver in the 57 years of the Formula
One championship to finish his first three races on the podium.
The Briton lapped in 1:32.935 after setting the quickest time
in final practice and once again appeared utterly unfazed by his
achievement.
Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen, winner of the season-opener in
Australia, will start in third place with McLaren's double world
champion Fernando Alonso in fourth.
It was the first time that Spaniard Alonso, who leads
Raikkonen by two points in the championship after winning in
Malaysia last weekend, had been outqualified by his 22-year-old
team mate.
"To go into your third race in Formula One and to get a front
row, it's amazing," said Hamilton. "We've definitely made a step
forward, we seem to be stronger than we were in the tests here. We
definitely have a closer gap with Ferrari."
The front row line-up gave Massa a chance to exact his revenge
on Hamilton after being outfoxed by the youngster in Malaysia.
At Sepang, the Briton was fourth on the grid but overtook
both Ferraris at the start to anchor a McLaren one-two, forcing the
far more experienced Brazilian into an embarrassing error when the
Ferrari driver tried to overtake.
Massa, who has yet to stand on the podium this year after
winning the 2006 season-ender in Brazil, said that would not happen
again and promised to be more aggressive when the starting lights
go out.
"I think he (Hamilton) did a good start but we also gave him
space," said Massa. "This time we know what he can do, so he won't
get the space any more.
"I was quite disappointed with the result at the end of the
last race. Hopefully this time we start a different championship,"
he added.
Hamilton, who won in Bahrain from 23rd place on the starting
grid when he was competing in the junior F3 series, was well aware
of the threat from the man alongside him.
"It's going to be interesting what happens in the first
corner," he said. "We have to make sure we get around nice and
clean."
BMW Sauber filled the third row of the grid, with Germany's
Mick Heidfeld fifth and Poland's Robert Kubica sixth.
Champions Renault, winners for the past two years in Bahrain
with Alonso, had Italian Giancarlo Fisichella starting seventh
alongside Red Bull's Australian Mark Webber.
His Finnish rookie team mate Heikki Kovalainen was a
disappointing 12th.
Briton Anthony Davidson, in a Honda-powered Super Aguri,
outqualified both the factory Hondas with an impressive 13th place.
Brazilian Rubens Barrichello and Briton Jenson Button were 15th and
16th respectively.