Alonso claims Monaco pole

Updated 18.41 Sat May 26 2007

Keywords: Felipe Massa, Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, grand prix, motor racing, Formula One, sport, Kimi Raikkonen, David Coulthard, Jenson Button

World Champion Fernando Alonso will start the Monaco Grand Prix in pole position.

The Spaniard pipped his McLaren team-mate Lewis Hamilton by less than 0.2 seconds in qualifying, but Hamilton will start alongside Alonso on the front row of the grid.

"It's quick like you wouldn't believe" - Lewis Hamilton

Alonso said: "All weekend it has been quite good for us. We've been competitive, and at the top the whole time but to be on pole this year is very special. I can enjoy the day."

Hamilton added: "I had a fantastic session. I had a fantastic lap and I was really on the limit but then I was held up by Webber and lost half a second. I don't know if he saw me. I managed to pull it back a bit, but not enough and by the end of the lap the tyres had gone.

"But it's a lovely track. It's my favourite. It's quick like you wouldn't believe. We're doing 180mph around here.

"I'm really happy for the team and it is going to be interesting."

Ferrari's Felipe Massa will start the race from third place on the grid and his team-mate Kimi Raikkonen will be in 15th place as he was forced to stop during qualifying after colliding with a barrier and then hitting a kerb.

Giancarlo Fisichella will start in fourth place, ahead of Nico Rosberg and Mark Webber.

Sauber pair Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica will start in seventh and eighth places respectively.

David Coulthard was punished by stewards and demoted to 16th place, and that moved Jenson Button up to 11th, just behind his Honda team-mate Rubens Barichello.