Highlights

Fisichella to start on pole in Malaysia

(AP)
Updated: 2006-03-18 19:51

SEPANG, Malaysia (AP) _ Renault's Giancarlo Fisichella upstaged teammate Fernando Alonso in Saturday's qualifying for the Malaysian Grand Prix, while also ruining another record-setting bid by Ferrari's Michael Schumacher.

Alonso is defending champion and won last week at the season-opener in Bahrain. Schumacher meanwhile, was attempting to set a record for most number of pole positions ever, a mark he shares with Ayrton Senna at 65.

But Schumacher's bid was thwarted by an engine change before qualifying.

The seven-time world champion, led a Ferrari 1-2 on the starting grid at last weekend's Bahrain Grand Prix but will drop 10 places from fourth this week.

"We're satisfied with this position and obviously I hope to end up in the points," the German said. "Our objective is not to lose touch with the drivers who presumably will be fighting for the championship."

Ferrari team principal Jean Todt alluded to engine reliability as a reason for the switch before the qualifying session.

"We're now going through a difficult moment with the reliability of the V8 engine," Todt said. "What is important for us is to try and pick up as many points as possible."

Schumacher could have started further down the order but three others _ brother Ralf in a Toyota, Honda's Rubens Barrichello and Red Bull's David Coulthard _ were also penalized for engine changes.

Fisichella meanwhile, outsped them both with the fastest qualifying time of 1 minute 33.840 seconds on a hot afternoon at the Sepang International Circuit.

Alonso and Schumacher, who have the last six world six championships between them, will start from the fourth and sixth rows respectively.

It was Fisichella's third pole position of his career. He had the pole at the Australian GP, which he went on to win to open the 2005 season.

"Last year, the first race of the season, a fantastic memory," Fisichella said. "This year it was totally different."