In-form Trulli leaves the top contenders trailing

RENAULT’S Jarno Trulli left the world championship contenders trailing in his wake as he scorched to the top of the times in first qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix.

The Italian, who scored his first podium of the season at the last race in Germany, continued his run of form at the Hungaroring with an unbeatable time of one min 22.358 secs.

Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya and championship leader Michael Schumacher, who are split by six points at the head of the drivers’ title race, could manage only eighth and ninth respectively.

German Ralf Schumacher, reprieved earlier this week from a penalty drop of 10 grid positions after appealing claims of dangerous driving at Hockenheim, finished second for Williams, just 0.055 secs behind Trulli.

Australian Mark Webber, of Jaguar, was third fastest after setting a time one quarter of a second behind Trulli midway through the session. His teammate Justin Wilson managed just 15th place after making a mistake.

Scot David Coulthard, confirmed at McLaren for a ninth season here yesterday, celebrated in style by getting to grips with his self-confessed struggles in one-lap qualifying to finish fourth.

He was more than a tenth of a second ahead of the leading Ferrari, and the leading Bridgestone runner, Brazilian Rubens Barrichello as Michelin dominated proceedings in temperatures of 32°C.

Spaniard Fernando Alonso was sixth, almost six tenths of a second behind Renault team-mate Trulli and just ahead of Toyota driver Olivier Panis, of France, Montoya, Schumacher and German Nick Heidfeld, who completed the top 10 for Sauber.

Michael Schumacher, out first, had set a benchmark time of one min 23.305 secs but Montoya went more than one tenth of a second faster, despite locking his tyres during his flying lap.

Raikkonen, out next, looked set to move to the top of the timesheets but lost half a second in the final sector of the lap and could only post the third fastest time, two tenths slower than Schumacher, and eventually dropped to 12th.

Ralf Schumacher then pulled out an impressive lap to better his team-mate by 0.892 seconds but it was not to last and Trulli topped it midway through the session.

Brazilian Cristiano da Matta had a chance to better Trulli’s time but he spun on his lap and finished last, behind the Minardi pair of Jos Verstappen and Nicolas Kiesa.