26/04/2008 16:00

Barcelona - Defending drivers' world champion and early season leader Kimi Raikkonen of Finland has secured pole position for Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix.

But on a warm, dry and sunlit spring afternoon at the Circuit de Catalunya, it was the performance of local hero Spaniard Fernando Alonso that captured the public imagination.

Double drivers' world champion Alonso clocked a superb lap in the closing seconds to go briefly top of the times and ended up second only after Raikkonen had eclipsed his effort in the final seconds.

Raikkonen's Ferrari team-mate Brazilian Felipe Massa was third fastest ahead of Poland's Robert Kubica in the leading BMW Sauber with Briton Lewis Hamilton struggling to make fifth place for McLaren Mercedes.

His team-mate Finn Heikki Kovalianen was sixth ahead of Australian Mark Webber in a Red Bull, Italian Jarno Trulli of Toyota, German Nick Heidfeld in the second BMW and Brazilian Nelson Piquet in the second Renault.

The first two mini-sessions saw the removal of 12 slower drivers from the fray.

In the first session, when Raikkonen was the fastest man, Briton David Coulthard in his Red Bull failed to make the cut by finishing 17th, just ahead of Sebastian Vettel of Germany in his Toro Rosso.

Also out went Italian Giancarlo Fisichella of Force India, German Adrian Sutil, his team-mate, Briton Anthony Davidson of the cash-starved Super-Aguri team and his partner Japanese Takuma Sato.

The second part-session saw the elimination of Brazilian Rubens Barrichello, in his Honda, Kazuki Nakajima in a Williams, Jenson Button of Britain in a Honda, German Timo Glock in a Toyota, German Nico Rosberg in a Williams and Frenchman Sebastien Bourdais in a Toro Rosso.

The starting grid for Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix:

1st row

Kimi Raikkonen (FIN/Ferrari)

Fernando Alonso (ESP/Renault)

2nd row

Felipe Massa (BRA/Ferrari)

Robert Kubica (POL/BMW Sauber)

3rd row

Lewis Hamilton (GBR/McLaren-Mercedes)

Heikki Kovalainen (FIN/McLaren-Mercedes)

4th row

Mark Webber (AUS/Red Bull-Renault)

Jarno Trulli (ITA/Toyota)

5th row

Nick Heidfeld (GER/BMW Sauber)

Nelson Piquet Jr (BRA/Renault)

6th row

Rubens Barrichello (BRA/Honda)

Kazuki Nakajima (JPN/Williams-Toyota)

7th row

Jenson Button (GBR/Honda)

Timo Glock (GER/Toyota)

8th row

Nico Rosberg (GER/Williams-Toyota)

Sébastien Bourdais (FRA/Toro Rosso-Ferrari)

9th row

David Coulthard (GBR/Red Bull-Renault)

Sebastian Vettel (GER/Toro Rosso-Ferrari)

10th row

Giancarlo Fisichella (ITA/Force India-Ferrari)

Adrian Sutil (GER/Force India-Ferrari)

11th row

Anthony Davidson (GBR/Super Aguri-Honda)

Takuma Sato (JPN/Super Aguri-Honda)

Qualifying Times

1. Kimi Raikkonen (FIN) Ferrari 1:21.813, 2. Fernando Alonso (ESP) Renault 1:21.904, 3. Felipe Massa (BRA) Ferrari 1:22.058, 4. Robert Kubica (POL) BMW Sauber 1:22.065, 5. Lewis Hamilton (GBR) McLaren-Mercedes 1:22.096, 6. Heikki Kovalainen (FIN) McLaren-Mercedes 1:22.231, 7. Mark Webber (AUS) Red Bull-Renault 1:22.429, 8. Jarno Trulli (ITA) Toyota 1:22.529, 9. Nick Heidfeld (GER) BMW Sauber 1:22.542, 10. Nelson Piquet Jr (BRA) Renault 1:22.699