NUERBURGRING, May 6: World champion Fernando Alonso edged out Michael Schumacher to take his first pole position of the season at the European Grand Prix on Saturday.

The 24-year-old Spaniard will start alongside seven times champion, his closest rival in the Formula One championship and the man he dethroned last year. Felipe Massa was third fastest and, as at Imola two weeks ago, forms an all-Brazilian second row with Rubens Barrichello.

Finland's Kimi Raikkonen was fifth fastest and Jenson Button sixth, ending a run of seven starts from the front two rows.

Alonso's Italian team mate Giancarlo Fisichella failed to qualify in the top 10 for the second race in a row and stalked angrily down the pitlane to remonstrate with Jacques Villeneuve, who starts eighth.

Fisichella, who had shaken his fist at the Canadian several times as he followed the Villeneuve on the track in the penultimate session, clearly blamed the 1997 champion for baulking him.

Standing in front of Villeneuve's car, with the Canadian still sitting in it, he pointed his finger and made his feelings clear.

Ralf Schumacher will start his home race in 10th place because Australian Mark Webber, who qualified in that position and just ahead of him, collected a 10-place penalty for an unscheduled engine change.

Webber's team mate Nico Rosberg was 12th fastest but also took a 10-place hit and will start at the back for his first home race after a similar precautionary engine change.

Nick Heidfeld, who took the first pole position of his career at the Nuerburgring last year, qualified a distant 15th but will gain two places because of the penalties.

French driver Franck Montagny will make his grand prix debut on the back row replacing dropped Japanese Yuji Ide.

There was confusion after the first qualifying session, with the start of the second delayed by 10 minutes while a timing problem was sorted out.

Starting grid:

1st row: 1. Fernando Alonso (ESP) 1:29.819, 2. Michael Schumacher (GER) 1:30.028

2nd row: 3. Felipe Massa (BRA) 1:30.407, 4. Rubens Barrichello (BRA) 1:30.754

3rd row: 5. Kimi Raikkonen (FIN) 1:30.933, 6. Jenson Button (GBR) 1:30.940

4th row: 7. Jarno Trulli (ITA) 1:31.419, 8. Jacques Villeneuve (CAN) 1:31.542

5th row: 9. Juan Pablo Montoya (COL) 1:31.880, 10. Ralf Schumacher (GER) 1:30.944

6th row: 11. Giancarlo Fisichella (ITA) 1:31.197, 12. David Coulthard (GBR) 1:31.227

7th row: 13. Nick Heidfeld (GER) 1:31.422, 14. Vitantonio Liuzzi (ITA) 1:31.728

8th row: 15. Christian Klien (AUT) 1:32.901, 16. Christijan Albers (NED) 1:32.936

9th row: 17. Scott Speed (USA) 1:32.992, 18. Tiago Monteiro (POR) 1:33.658

10th row: 19. Takuma Sato (JPN) F1 Team 1:35.239, 20. Mark Webber (AUS) 1:33.405

11th row: 21. Franck Montagny (FRA) F1 Team 1:46.505, 22. Nico Rosberg (GER) 1:31.194.—AFP