Massa takes S'pore F1 pole

FERRARI'S Felipe Massa stormed to pole position for the inaugural Singapore Grand Prix on Saturday, topping the times during qualifying ahead of McLaren's Lewis Hamilton.

It was a crucial drive by the Brazilian with front row of the grid likely to be decisive on the bumpy Marina Bay street circuit where overtaking will be possible, but difficult.

His lap of 1:44.801 was 0.664 of a second ahead of the British world championship leader, who is one point in front of his rival in the title race with four Grand Prix left.

Defending world champion Kimi Raikkonen, desperate for a win here to keep alive his slim hopes of retaining his title, was third fastest for Ferrari and BMW Sauber's Robert Kubica was fourth in the Toro Rosso.

Heikki Kovalainen, in the second McLaren, was fifth ahead of Nick Heidfeld for BMW Sauber.

New kid on the block Sebastian Vettel, winner in Italy earlier this month, was seventh in his Toro Rosso with Timo Glock eighth, Nico Rosberg ninth and Kazuki Nakajima tenth.

Forecasters had said there was a 50 percent chance of rain over the weekend, but it held off Saturday, allowing the cars to be pushed as hard as possible in hot and humid conditions under the powerful spotlights illuminating the track.

But it proved to be a disastrous evening for Fernando Alonso, who was the world champion in 2005 and 2006, topped the final practice and looked to be good for pole position.

It all went wrong in the second qualifying session when the engine of his Renault cut out, leaving the frustrated 19-time Grand Prix winner no option but to climb out of his car and put his head in his hands.

It means the Spaniard will have to start from 15th, effectively ruling out any chance of victory here in only the third time he has qualified outside the top 10 this year.

Force India's Giancarlo Fisichella, whose car lifted off the ground after he misjudged a chicane and hit the barriers in the practice session, pulled off a similar stunt in qualifying and will start last in the grid.

Fellow Force India driver Adrian Sutil joins him at the rear of the race.