Maiden pole position for Massa at Turkish GP

TEAMCAR - Ferrari's Felipe Massa claimed his maiden F1 pole position in qualifying for the Turkish Grand Prix, beating teammate Michael Schumacher by nearly four tenths of a second. Massa clocked 1:26.907 for the front of the grid and Schumacher will line up alongside. Good for Ferrari but the Renaults of Fernando Alonso and Giancarlo Fisichella are looming threateningly on the second row in third and fourth.

It was hot and dry at Istanbul Park on Saturday afternoon, with a track temperature of 51 degrees at the start of qualifying. Renault is minus its mass damper device since the FIA Court of Appeal decreed it illegal last week, while MF1's Christijan Albers and Toyota's Ralf Schumacher will both suffer the 10 place grid demotion penalty after an engine changes.

After Hungary there doesn't seem much point in trying to predict what will happen in the race but barring any peculiarities it looks like the Turkish victory will be fought for by Ferrari and Renault. Or will it? Final top ten classification: Massa, M. Schumacher, Alonso, Fisichella, R. Schumacher, Heidfeld, Button, Raikkonen, Kubica, Webber.