March 19, 2006	Sunday	Safar 18, 1427

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SEPANG (Malaysia), March 18: Italian Giancarlo Fisichella seized the third pole position of his career here when he clocked the fastest time in qualifying for Sunday’s Malaysian Grand Prix.

The 33-year-old Renault driver narrowly outpaced 25-year-old Briton Jenson Button, driving a Honda, to top the times Saturday with a best lap of one minute and 33.840 seconds. Button clocked 1:33.986.

Rising star Nico Roseberg of Germany, the 20-year-old son of former champion Keke Rosberg of Finland, was third fastest for Williams ahead of seven-times champion Michael Schumacher of Germany, in a Ferrari.

Australian Mark Webber in the second Williams was fifth, Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya sixth for McLaren Mercedes and Finn Kimi Raikkonen, in another McLaren, was seventh.

Defending world champion Spaniard Fernando Alonso was eighth for Renault on a day when engine problems hit the Ferrari team and others.

Shortly before the session began, it was confirmed that both German Schumacher and his former Ferrari team-mate Brazilian Rubens Barrichello, now at Honda, had required engine changes.

In addition to these two, Felipe Massa and Briton David Coulthard were also using new power-units, making four drivers in all, the Brazilian having been required to change his engine for a second time on Saturday.

The qualifying session began again in searing heat and high humidity. The track temperature was 48 degrees Celsius (119 Fahrenheit) and the air temperature 37 when the session started with humidity at 46 percent.

The first session saw the “elimination” of American Scott Speed, Italian Vitantonio Liuzzi, Dutchman Christijan Albers, Portugal’s Tiago Monteiro and the Japanese pair Takuma Sato and Yuji Ide.

Respectively, this group took the bottom six places on the grid, from 17th to 22nd.

Toro Rosso, Midland F1 and Super Aguri teams were assured of their roles as the back-markers.

Starting grid:

First row: 1. Giancarlo Fisichella (ITA) 1:33.840, 2. Jenson Button (GBR) 1:33.986

Second row: 3. Nico Rosberg (GER) 1:34.626, 4. Mark Webber (AUS) 1:34.672

Third row: 5. Juan Pablo Montoya (COL) 1:34.916, 6. Kimi Raikkonen (FIN) 1:34.983

Fourth row: 7. Fernando Alonso (ESP) 1:35.747, 8. Christian Klien (AUT) 1:38.715

Fifth row: 9. Jarno Trulli (ITA) 1:34.702, 10. Jacques Villeneuve (CAN) 1:34.752

Sixth row: 11. Nick Heidfeld (GER) 1:34.783, 12. Scott Speed (USA) 1:36.297

Seventh row: 13. Vitantonio Liuzzi (ITA) 1:36.581, 14. Michael Schumacher (GER) 1:34.668

Eighth row: 15. Christijan Albers (NED) 1:34.426, 16. Tiago Monteiro (POR) 1:37.819

Ninth row: 17. Takuma Sato (JPN) 1:39.011, 18. Yuji Ide (JPN) 1:40.720

10th row: 19. Ralf Schumacher (GER), 20. David Coulthard (GBR) 1:34.614

11th row: 21. Rubens Barrichello (BRA) 1:34.683, 22. Felipe Massa (BRA).—AFP