Alonso takes pole at Silverstone

Formula One title favourite Fernando Alonso seized pole position for Sunday’s British Grand Prix after a blown engine scuppered Kimi Ra...

Formula One title favourite Fernando Alonso seized pole position for Sunday’s British Grand Prix after a blown engine scuppered Kimi Raikkonen’s chances. The championship leader’s fourth pole for Renault in 11 races came as a surprise after he had talked down his team’s chances in a race that appeared to favour Raikkonen’s McLaren above all others.

His lap also dashed Jenson Button’s hopes of starting his home race from the top slot. The BAR driver had been in line for pole until the Spaniard, winner five times this year including last weekend’s French Grand Prix, lapped the former wartime airfield circuit in one minute 19.905 seconds.

Button will still start alongside the 23-year-old after Raikkonen, who was second fastest and just 0.027 slower than Alonso, dropped 10 places as a penalty for having his car’s engine changed.

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It was the Finn’s second engine failure in two races and he will start 12th. “It’s obviously a great result for us,” said Alonso, who leads Raikkonen by 24 points with nine races remaining. “I’m really, really confident.

McLaren’s Juan Pablo Montoya could prove a bigger threat than Raikkonen, the Colombian starting on the clean side of the track in third place with Italian Jarno Trulli for Toyota alongside. Ferrari’s seven times world champion Michael Schumacher, comfortable winner at Silverstone last year, qualified a disappointing ninth.

Raikkonen finished second in France after starting 13th and Silverstone is a circuit that plays to the McLaren’s strengths. He refused to give up hope despite his evident frustration.

“It’s not the ideal situation again,” the Finn said in his deadpan voice. “There’s nothing I can do, I just have to drive as quickly as I can and we’ll see what happens tomorrow.” (Reuters)

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