ISTANBUL, Aug 26: Brazilian Felipe Massa took the first pole position of his Formula One career on Saturday as Ferrari swept title rivals Renault off the front row at the Turkish Grand Prix.

Massa pipped team mate and seven times world champion Michael Schumacher by 0.377 seconds in qualifying at the Istanbul Park circuit to secure the fourth all-Ferrari front row of the year.

Renault's overall leader Fernando Alonso will start right behind the Ferrari pair in third place, alongside Italian team mate Giancarlo Fisichella.

The champion leads Schumacher by 10 points in the drivers' championship with five races remaining while Renault are just seven clear of Ferrari in a tight battle between the constructors'.

Schumacher, who can expect Massa to let him through and then try to keep Alonso at bay given that the young Brazilian has no hope of the title, was less happy after twice running wide at the first turn.

Massa, who will be starting his 66th race on Sunday, enjoyed his breakthrough moment but recognised that he would have to be a team player rather than thinking seriously about a first grand prix victory.

Ralf Schumacher, Michael's younger brother was fifth quickest for Toyota but loses 10 places due to an unscheduled engine change after Friday practice.

That left compatriot Nick Heidfeld, for BMW Sauber, and Honda's Jenson Button – a first time winner at the last race in Hungary – on the third row.

McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen, last year's winner from pole position but still without a victory this season, starts seventh with Poland's Robert Kubica next to him in a BMW Sauber.

Raikkonen's Spanish team mate Pedro de la Rosa, second in Hungary two weeks ago, failed to make the final cut and will start a disappointing 11th.

Starting grid: 1. Felipe Massa (Brazil) Ferrari; 2. Michael Schumacher (Germany) Ferrari; 3. Fernando Alonso (Spain) Renault; 4. Giancarlo Fisichella (Italy) Renault; 5. Nick Heidfeld (Germany) BMW Sauber; 6. Jenson Button (Britain) Honda; 7. Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) McLaren; 8. Robert Kubica (Poland) BMW Sauber; 9. Mark Webber (Australia) Williams-Cosworth; 10. Christian Klien (Austria) RedBull-Ferrari; 11. Pedro de la Rosa (Spain) McLaren; 12. Jarno Trulli (Italy) Toyota; 13. Rubens Barrichello (Brazil) Honda; 14. Nico Rosberg (Germany) Williams-Cosworth; 15. Ralf Schumacher (Germany) Toyota; 16. David Coulthard (Britain) RedBull-Ferrari; 17. Scott Speed (US) Toro Rosso-Cosworth; 18. Vitantonio Liuzzi (Italy) Toro Rosso-Cosworth; 19. Tiago Monteiro (Portugal) MF1-Toyota; 20. Sakon Yamamoto (Japan) Super Aguri-Honda; 21. Takuma Sato (Japan) Super Aguri-Honda; 22. Christijan Albers (Netherlands) MF1-Toyota.—Reuters