UpdateF1 >> Formula 1 News > Qual: Kimi claims pole

For Italian Grand Prix

A tremendous battle during qualifying for the 2006 Italian Grand Prix ended with McLaren’s Kimi Raikkonen claiming the most impressive of pole positions.

All the focus had been on the local team Ferrari and all looked to be going well when Felipe Massa and Michael Schumacher both stormed up the timesheets.

However their young Finnish rival was to upset the apple cart as he got the better of them not once, but twice, in a fiercely fought contest.

It was Massa who had fired the opening shot. Four minutes from the chequer the Brazilian – who won the Turkish event two weeks ago – dropped the pace and put his Ferrari on provisional pole. Schumacher also had a shot but couldn’t match his teammate’s time.

One minute later it was Raikkonen’s turn and he conquered the benchmark by more than three tenths of a second.

Not to be upstaged, Massa returned to the track and looked to demolish his rival’s time before a final sector mistake left him reeling at two tenths down on the required mark.

Schumacher looked stronger second time around and did take the top spot momentarily before Raikkonen dealt the knock out blow.

With just seconds to run the McLaren came hurtling out the Parabolica, across the line, and into pole position.

For the British squad it was jubilation, for Ferrari it seemed little more than a minor frustration.

Schumacher admitted his disappointment at not claiming P1 in front of the team’s home crowd, however he was dismissive of his rival’s chances of victory.

Even if Raikkonen’s pace wasn’t a ‘flash in the pan’, there was still reason for comfort.

The German’s main rival in the championship fight, Renault’s Fernando Alonso, could only manage the fifth fastest time.

A mistake and a trip across Monza’s first chicane saw Alonso puncture a tyre and do damage to the rear of the car that seriously compromised his qualifying bid.

The Spaniard was upstaged by Raikkonen, the two Ferraris, and, more surprisingly, BMW’s Nick Heidfeld.

BMW had looked mighty impressive all through practice and the early qualifying segements. Raw engine power was proving a major advantage and both Heidfeld and his teammate Robert Kubica were recording some very competitive times.

However when push came to shove they were expected to disappear, return to the mid field anonymity.

It wasn’t the case though as Heidfeld recorded a sensational third fastest time to put him ahead of not only Alonso, but Massa as well.

Kubica wasn’t far down in seventh position, getting the better of Pedro de la Rosa in the second McLaren.

Honda’s Jenson Button was sixth fastest, his teammate Rubens Barrichello and Renault’s Giancarlo Fisichella rounded out the top ten in ninth and tenth respectively.

QUALIFYING SHORTS

* Rubber trouble. Fernando Alonso wasn’t the only man to have trouble with tyres on Saturday in Monza.

Qualifying was red flagged during the opening segment when Super Aguri’s Sakon Yamamoto suffered a rear-tyre failure heading down the main straight.

* Slim pickings. Christian Klien was limited for choice when his gearbox played up during qualifying second segment.

The Austrian’s Red Bull racer eventually ground to a halt on the side of the track and wasn’t to be seen again.

Written: Sat, 09 Sep 2006 13:16:39