SUZUKA (Japan), Oct 8: Ralf Schumacher put Toyota on pole position for the team’s home Japanese Grand Prix on Saturday as rain dashed the hopes of championship leaders McLaren and Renault.

The German will start alongside Briton Jenson Button, who added to the Japanese-flavoured front row by securing second place for Honda-backed BAR.

Championship leaders McLaren will meanwhile start from the back of the grid.

Renault’s newly crowned champion Fernando Alonso qualified 16th while McLaren’s Kimi Raikkonen was 17th fastest after a steady drizzle turned into heavier rain shortly before they went out on the track.

Alonso’s Italian team mate, Giancarlo Fisichella, was luckier, going out just as the weather deteriorated and managing to secure third place.

He will share the second row with Austrian Christian Klien in a Red Bull.

The pole was Ralf’s first for Toyota, the team he joined from Williams at the end of last year. Toyota also qualified on pole at Indianapolis in June with Italian Jarno Trulli.

Starting grid:

1st row: 1. Ralf Schumacher (GER) 1:46.106, 2. Jenson Button (GBR) 1:46.141

2nd row: 3. Giancarlo Fisichella (ITA) 1:46.276, 4. Christian Klien (AUT) 1:46.464

3rd row: 5. Takuma Sato (JPN) 1:46.841, 6. David Coulthard (GBR) 1:46.892

4th row: 7. Mark Webber (AUS) 1:47.233, 8. Jacques Villeneuve (CAN) 1:47.440

5th row: 9. Rubens Barrichello (BRA) 1:48.248, 10. Felipe Massa (BRA) 1:48.278

6th row: 11. Narain Karthikeyan (IND) 1:48.718, 12. Antonio Pizzonia (BRA) 1:48.898

7th row: 13. Christijan Albers (NED) 1:50.843, 14. Michael Schumacher (GER) 1:52.676

8th row: 15. Robert Doornbos (NED) 1:52.894, 16. Fernando Alonso (ESP) 1:54.667

9th row: 17. Juan Pablo Montoya (COL) McLaren-Mercedes no time, 18. Jarno Trulli (ITA) Toyota no time

10th row: 19. Tiago Monteiro (POR) no time, 20. Kimi Raikkonen (FIN) 2:02.309

N.B. Kimi Raikkonen was downgraded 10 places on the grid because his engine broke down in Friday’s free practice and it had to be changed.—Agencies