Raikkonen on pole

Kimi Raikkonen took his second consecutive pole position by claiming top spot in qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix at Barcelona this morning.

The McLaren driver started from the front at Imola two weeks ago but was robbed of victory by a driveshaft problem.

Raikkonen held third overnight after a slight error in first qualifying yesterday but he was flawless today to jump to the top of the timing sheets.

Williams driver Mark Webber will start alongside him on the front row after making made good progress in today’s session.

He moved from sixth overnight to second with a storming lap, although differing fuel loads are a factor in today’s results.

Home hero Fernando Alonso slipped to third on the grid today in his Renault. The world championship leader was cheered on by a capacity 115,000 crowd but could not deliver pole position.

The Toyota pair of Ralf Schumacher and Jarno Trulli are on course for a strong race after taking fifth and sixth respectively.

Giancarlo Fisichella was sixth while Juan Pablo Montoya, who was hampered by being first out on track yesterday, improved his position this morning.

The McLaren driver, who is returning this weekend after a two-race injury absence, set a quick time to leapfrog Sauber’s Felipe Massa, David Coulthard and Michael Schumacher.

Montoya will start from seventh while Coulthard, who is enjoying a more promising weekend than he did two weeks ago at Imola, lines up ninth.

World champion Schumacher was disappointing today as Ferrari continue to struggle over one lap. The German lost ground this morning and will start eighth, although he is likely to be running more fuel than his rivals.

Nick Heidfeld held fifth place overnight but an engine change on his Williams yesterday – and the 10-place penalty which comes with it – meant he did not compete in today’s session and will start from the back row.

Rubens Barrichello suffered a similar problem yesterday and opted for the same tactic this morning. The Ferrari driver starts from last as his first session time was slower than Heidfeld’s.

Portuguese rookie Tiago Monteiro’s lap ended in dramatic fashion when the Toyota engine in his Toyota exploded as he crossed the finishing line.

Smoke and bits of engine spewed from the back of the Jordan, which stopped on the grass to bring out a red flag and almost certainly bring Monteiro a penalty for changing his engine.