The Hindu : Sport / Racing : Motor : Heidfeld secures maiden pole

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, May 29, 2005

Sport

Sport - Racing : Motor

Heidfeld secures maiden pole

NURBURGRING (Germany): German driver Nick Heidfeld secured his first career pole position when he claimed top spot for the European Grand Prix as the grid was decided on a Saturday for the first time this season.

A new qualifying format, introduced after last weekend's Monaco Grand Prix, ensured pole position was confirmed on Saturday after the Sunday morning session was scrapped and the grid decided on one single flying lap.

Strong form

And the German, who finished second in the last Grand Prix at Monaco, continued his strong form to claim a thrilling maiden pole for Williams on his and engine manufacturer BMW home soil.

``It is fantastic. To have my first pole position in Formula One, finally, after so many years, and this is the place I would have wanted pole," said Heidfeld. "It is my home Grand Prix and it has been a perfect day so far. I have a lot of supporters here and now there is a good chance a lot more spectators will come."

Finn Kimi Raikkonen, who has won the last two races for McLaren, could only manage second fastest time on his flying lap as his run of three consecutive pole positions was brought to an end.

Heidfeld's time of 1:30.081 put him 0.116 seconds ahead of Raikkonen and out-classed Australian team-mate Mark Webber, who will start from the second row in third after finishing 0.287 seconds behind.

Ferrari, which has won four of the last five races here, missing out only to Ralf Schumacher and Williams in 2003, continued to struggle leaving both drivers to rely on a strong race pace here on Sunday.

World champion Michael Schumacher secured a hat-trick of pole, fastest lap and victory here last year but he will start from 10th while team-mate Rubens Barrichello fared slightly better with seventh place.

Ralf Schumacher, who suffered a disastrous race in Monaco, finished eighth fastest in the second Toyota and Italian Giancarlo Fisichella, fighting to come back from struggles with his Renault, finished ninth.

BAR-Honda finished out of the top 10 with Jenson Button 13th and Takuma Sato 16th.

Karthikeyan 19th

The 360-degree spin in the practice session, when he lost control of his Jordan heading down the main straight and careered onto the tarmac run-off, seemed to have rankled Narain Karthikeyan as he clocked 1:36.192 to finish 19th.

His Jordan teammate Tiago Monteiro (1:35.047) put up a better show to overshadow the Indian, who finished just ahead of Minardi driver Christijan Albers (1:36.239). — Agencies, UNI

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