HOCKENHEIM (Germany), July 29: Kimi Raikkonen seized McLaren's first pole position of the Formula One season at the German Grand Prix on Saturday.

Ferrari's seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher, gunning for his third pole in a row in what some fans fear could be his last appearance on home soil, had to settle for second place on the starting grid.

Renault's world champion Fernando Alonso, winner at Hockenheim last year and 17 points clear of Schumacher in the championship with seven races remaining, qualified a distant seventh.

The Spaniard, celebrating his 25th birthday, almost collided with his 37-year-old German rival in the pit lane in the heat of the battle.

Raikkonen's pole was McLaren's first since Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya, now absent after deciding to switch to the US-based NASCAR series, in Belgium in September last year.

It was the ninth pole of his career, and second in a row at Hockenheim, and Raikkonen will be hoping to translate his advantage into a long-awaited victory in engine partners Mercedes' backyard.

Brazilian Felipe Massa qualified third for Ferrari with

While Raikkonen filled the top slot, despite running wide on to the gravel on his final flying lap, Spanish team mate Pedro de la Rosa was ninth after colliding with Toyota's Ralf Schumacher at the hairpin. Ralf qualified eighth.

The first part of the knockout session was red-flagged after five minutes when Toro Rosso's American Scott Speed ran wide, spun and hit the wall.

Toyota's unlucky Italian Jarno Trulli will start at the back of the grid, after qualifying 13th, because of an unscheduled engine change in practice that cost him 10 places.—Reuters