|
|
|
| September 11, 2005 | Sunday | Sha’aban 6, 1426 |
Montoya grabs pole at Spa
SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS (Belgium), Sept 10: Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya claimed pole position for the Belgian Grand Prix when he out-paced his title-chasing McLaren team-mate Kimi Raikkonen in qualifying on Saturday.
Raikkonen, who is 27-points adrift of Renault driver Fernando Alonso, needs every win he can get in the remaining four Grands Prix to keep his title hopes alive.
He looked set to secure his sixth pole of the season after setting the pace but Montoya, who won the last race in Italy, came out last and bettered his team-mate to hand McLaren their first front row lock-out of the year.
Montoya’s time of 1:46.391 put him just 0.049 seconds ahead of Raikkonen to brighten McLaren’s hopes of securing their first one-two in more than five seasons as they continue their fight with Renault for the constructors’ title.
After a washout day of heavy rain left drivers sitting in their garages during the opening practice sessions Friday concerns from some about the race actually going ahead were eased as the weather improved.
The microclimate above the trees of the Ardennes pulled a surprise once again as the clouds cleared for Saturday morning practice and although they returned for qualifying the rain stayed away.
Italian Giancarlo Fisichella finished third fastest in the session but will be forced to drop ten places on the grid having had the engine in his Renault changed ahead of the qualifying session.
Italian Jarno Trulli finished fourth fastest for Toyota, just ahead of fifth-placed Spaniard Alonso, the world championship leader, with the second Toyota of German Ralf Schumacher in sixth place.
World champion German Michael Schumacher, who had prayed for rain to even the field this weekend, still looked happy in the sunshine as he secured seventh place finish but was more than a second off the pace.
Brazilian Felipe Massa finished eighth with Briton Jenson Button ninth for and Australian Mark Webber closing out the top ten.
Result:
1. Juan Pablo Montoya (Colombia) 1:46.391 2. Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) 1:46.440 3. Giancarlo Fisichella (Italy) 1:46.497 4. Jarno Trulli (Italy) 1:46.596 5. Fernando Alonso (Spain) 1:46.760 6. Ralf Schumacher (Germany) 1:47.401 7. Michael Schumacher (Germany) 1:47.476 8. Felipe Massa (Brazil) 1:47.867 9. Jenson Button (Britain) 1:47.978 10. Mark Webber (Australia) 1:48.071 11. Takuma Sato (Japan) 1:48.353 12. David Coulthard (Britain) 1:48.508 13. Rubens Barrichello (Brazil) 1:48.550 14. Jacques Villeneuve (Canada) 1:48.889 15. Antonio Pizzonia (Brazil) 1:48.898 16. Christian Klien (Austria) 1:48.994 17. Robert Doornbos (Netherlands) 1:49.779 18. Christijan Albers (Netherlands) 1:49.842 19. Tiago Monteiro (Portugal) 1:51.498 20. Narain Karthikeyan (India) 1:51.675 #.—AFP
|
|
|
|
