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Alonso well placed to take championship

24/09/2005

Renault's Fernando Alonso will start the Brazilian Grand Prix from pole position as the 24-year-old looks to become the youngest ever F1 champion.

Alonso only needs a podium finish to clinch the drivers' championship at Interlagos and will fancy his chances of doing so from the front of the grid.

McLaren's Juan Pablo Montoya will start alongside the Spaniard, with Kimi Raikkonen fifth.

Raikkonen was the fastest driver in Saturday's practice, narrowly outpacing his rival Alonso, yet the Finn made an early error in his qualifying lap, from which point he never recovered.

Alonso, the second to last driver to put in a qualifying lap, recorded a stunning time and the pressure got to Raikkonen, who made a mistake on turn one when requiring a near faultless performance.

Renault's Giancarlo Fisichella was the third fastest in qualifying, with Jenson Button fourth.

The young Briton took the pace he showed in Saturday's practice, where he was fifth fastest, into qualifying yet the BAR still looks to lack the pace to challenge the Renaults and McLarens.

Christian Klien defied all expectations in the Red Bull with the sixth fastest time, outpacing Ferrari's Michael Schumacher and Toyota's Jarno Trulli.

The pole position is Alonso's first since the British Grand Prix and will strengthen Renault's chances of taking the constructors' championship with the French manufacturer leading McLaren by just six points.

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