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Schumacher grabs dubious Monaco pole

Michael Schumacher secured a controversial pole position in his Ferrari for Sunday's Monaco Grand Prix

The 37-year old German, a seven times drivers champion, had already clocked the fastest lap time of 1:13.898 seconds when he brought out the yellow flags after stopping his car on his final lap in the closing seconds at the Rascasse hairpin.

The Ferrari driver's pole, however, was put under investigation after the controversial incident.

World Champion Fernando Alonso was denied the chance to challenge for pole after being distracted by the yellow flags in his Renault, and at least six other drivers were also put off.

Alonso, who was on the track in Schumacher's wake, tried hard to improve his second fastest time of the afternoon, but was unable to do enough to take over pole position.

He was left in second place with Mark Webber a superb third for Williams and Kimi Raikkonen a disappointed fourth for McLaren.

Giancarlo Fisichella was fifth for Renault and Juan Pablo Montoya sixth in the second McLaren.

Schumacher's 67th pole position gives him the perfect opportunity to equal Ayrton Senna's six wins at Monaco, and was in stark contrast to the fortunes of his Brazilian teammate Felipe Massa.

Massa crashed his Ferrari after only seven minutes and halted the session, in the process ensuring he will start Sunday's race from the back of the grid.

Massa had qualified in the top four for the last three races, was unhurt after his car slipped out of control and crashed into the barriers in Casino Square.

His Ferrari crashed hard, but the left front wheel which took most of the impact remained with the car.

The session was red-flagged and stopped.

Massa had been quick in the morning free practice before winding up eighth and he was hoping to make an impression at the most celebrated Formula One race of the year.

The marshals swiftly cleared the debris and wreckage of his car from the circuit and, after a three-minutes interruption, the session continued.

But at the end of the first part, Massa was joined in the group of drivers who took no further part in the qualifying session by the Super Aguri pair of Franck Montagny his Takuma Sato, Toro Rosso's Scott Speed, Midland's Portuguese driver Tiago Monteiro and his teammate Christijan Albers.

They all failed to progress and filled the back three rows of the grid.

British high hopes for Jenson Button's bid to secure a maiden victory were reduced when the 26-year-old Englishman failed to progress from the second part of the session into the final top ten shootout for pole for the first time this year.

Button, who had been on pole position in Australia only four races previously and then second at Imola, was doomed to take 14th place on the grid. He struggled with understeer.

He shared the seventh row with Vitantonio Liuzzi of Toro Rosso while ahead of him, on the sixth, Red Bull's Christian Klien up alongside German Ralf Schumacher's Toyota.

Nick Heidfeld and his BMW Sauber teammate Jacques Villeneuve filled the eighth row.

Monaco qualifying breakdown Session 1 Session 2 Session 3
Pos Driver Team   Pos Time Lap Pos Time Lap Pos Time Lap
1. M.Schumacher Ferrari B 13. 1:15.118 5 5. 1:13.709 3 1. 1:13.898 15
2. Alonso Renault M 2. 1:14.232 6 2. 1:13.622 3 2. 1:13.962 16
3. Webber Williams B 3. 1:14.305 9 6. 1:13.728 8 3. 1:14.082 14
4. Raikkonen McLaren M 1. 1:13.887 7 1. 1:13.532 3 4. 1:14.140 16
5. Fisichella Renault M 7. 1:14.614 7 3. 1:13.647 3 5. 1:14.396 16
6. Montoya McLaren M 5. 1:14.483 7 9. 1:14.295 10 6. 1:14.664 15
7. Barrichello Honda M 8. 1:14.766 9 10. 1:14.312 7 7. 1:15.804 15
8. Trulli Toyota B 9. 1:14.883 4 8. 1:14.211 6 8. 1:15.857 14
9. Coulthard Red Bull M 12. 1:15.090 7 4. 1:13.687 7 9. 1:16.426 16
10. Rosberg Williams B 10. 1:14.888 10 7. 1:13.909 8 10. 1:16.636 15
11. R.Schumacher Toyota B 4. 1:14.412 7 11. 1:14.398 7      
12. Klien Red Bull M 6. 1:14.489 7 12. 1:14.747 5      
13. Liuzzi Toro Rosso M 14. 1:15.314 10 13. 1:14.969 10      
14. Button Honda M 11. 1:15.085 7 14. 1:14.982 10      
15. Villeneuve BMW M 15. 1:15.316 8 15. 1:15.052 8      
16. Heidfeld BMW M 16. 1:15.324 11 16. 1:15.137 9      
17. Albers Midland B 17. 1:15.598 8            
18. Monteiro Midland B 18. 1:15.993 8            
19. Speed Toro Rosso M 19. 1:16.236 7            
20. Sato Super Aguri B 20. 1:17.276 6            
21. Montagny Super Aguri B 21. 1:17.502 7            
22. Massa Ferrari B 22. No time 2            

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