The Hindu : Sport / Racing : Motor : Felipe Massa takes pole position

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Felipe Massa takes pole position

GETTING READY: Felipe Massa (centre) won the pole position ahead of Fernando Alonso (left) and Kimi Raikkonen in the Formula One Malaysian Grand Prix on Saturday. — PHOTO: AP

Sepang: Felipe Massa continued his momentum from late last season by taking pole position for Sunday's Formula One Malaysian Grand Prix.

Massa, who led both of Friday's practices in a Ferrari, had a qualifying time of 1 minute, 35.043 seconds on Saturday for his fourth career pole and first this season. The Brazilian ended the 2006 season with two straight poles.

Massa won the last race of 2006 and looked sharp over the winter, posting leading times in testing. A gearbox problem in qualifying for the season-opening Australian GP last month saw him start from the rear of the grid.

After leading Friday's practices, Massa tailed off to second in Saturday morning's session. But he didn't mind.

World champion Fernando Alonso was Saturday's second-fastest qualifier for McLaren-Mercedes with 1:35.310, ahead of Australian GP-winner Kimi Raikkonen at 1:35.479.

McLaren rookie Lewis Hamilton was fourth fastest on the 5.543-km Sepang circuit with 1:36.045.

Raikkonen is the seven-time World champion's replacement at Ferrari, and marked his debut with a win for the Italian team at Melbourne.

After leaving Renault, Alonso hopes to become the first McLaren winner here since Raikkonen in 2003 and the first McLaren race-winner since October 2005, when Raikkonen won the Japanese GP.

The results: Malaysian Grand Prix qualifying: 1. Felipe Massa (Ferrari) 1:35.043; 2. Fernando Alonso (McLaren-Mercedes) 1:35.310.

3. Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari) 1:35.479; 4. Lewis Hamilton (McLaren-Mercedes) 1:36.045.

5. Nick Heidfeld (BMW-Sauber) 1:36.543; 6. Nico Rosberg (Williams) 1:36.829; 7. Robert Kubica (BMW-Sauber) 1:36.896; 8. Jarno Trulli (Toyota) 1:36.902.

9. Ralf Schumacher (Toyota) 1:37.078; 10. Mark Webber (Red Bull) 1:37.345. — Agencies

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