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Monaco GP Qualy: Ferrari 1-2, McLaren 3-4

Felipe Massa has taken the pole position in the Monaco GP despite not showing much form during practice sessions all through the weekend. He will be joined by his Ferrari teammate Kimi Räikkönen to form an all-Ferrari front row, ahead of the McLarens of Lewis Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen in 3rd and 4th places respectively.

Every driver knows how important the qualifying session is for the Monaco GP, given the track's tight and twisting nature. With predictions of rain for the race tomorrow, it is all the more a reason for the drivers to give it their all during the qualifying session.

Robert Kubica, again the faster BMW, took the 5th spot with Nico Rosberg in the 6th. Fernando Alonso, who almost couldn't escape the cut in Q2, would be lucky to take the 7th spot, with Jarno Trulli in the 8th.

It's a Red Bull 5th row, Mark Webber taking the 9th place ahead of teammate David Coulthard, who suffered a crash (but walked away unscathed) during the end of Q2, but not before posting a time that qualified him for Q3. However, his car was damaged pretty badly and it would mean that the Scot would have to sit out Q3.

Nick Heidfeld and Nelson Piquet Jr are two people who would be feeling a lot of pressure, especially after today's qualifying session. Nick was the much slower BMW, taking only the 13th position, while Nelson Piquet Jr could not escape the Q1 cut again and only managed a timing that was 17th fastest. For sure it wouldn't be long before the bosses start to get impatient and look for new talents to take their spots.

Sebastian Vettel would be frustrated with the start tomorrow as he find himself at the back of the grid after being slapped with a gear-box penalty. He had qualified on the 18th spot, but with Toro Rosso's untimely introduction of the new STR03, it would mean that Vettel's gear box would be a new one and his old one was slated to last for another 3 races (each gear box has to last for four races under the new rules of Formula 1 2008). He was penalised with a 5-grid place penalty.

The rain had only began to fall after the end of the qualifying session, and with the dark clouds looming the Monte Carlo circuit, it will be a spectacle to behold tomorrow during the race. Already during the qualifying we had seen how some drivers had been sliding on their rear wheels as they struggled for control on the slippery track. With rain falling this task can prove to be a lot more difficult, especially without the help of traction control.

The starting grid for tomorrow will be as follows:

1. F. Massa Ferrari 1:15.787
	2. K. Räikkönen Ferrari 1:15.815
3. L. Hamilton McLaren 1:15.839
	4. H. Kovalainen McLaren 1:16.165
5. R. Kubica BMW 1:16.171
	6. N. Rosberg Williams 1:16.548
7. F. Alonso Renault 1:16.852
	8. J. Trulli Toyota 1:17.203
9. M. Webber Red Bull 1:17.343
	10. D. Coulthard Red Bull no time
11. T. Glock Toyota 1:15.907*
	12. J. Button Honda 1:16.101
13. N. Heidfeld BMW 1:16.455
	14. K. Nakajima Williams 1:16.479
15. R. Barrichello Honda 1:16.537
	16. S. Bourdais Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:16.806**
17. N. Piquet jr. Renault 1:16.933
	18. A. Sutil Force India F1 1:17.225
19. G. Fisichella Force India F1 1:17.823
	20. S. Vettel Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:16.955 ^#

* Timing set during Qualifying 2 run
** Timing set during Qualifying 1 run
^#Sebastian Vettel is penalised 5 grid positions as a result of the Toro Rosso team's untimely introduction of the STR03. This is an indirect changing of his gear box, which was meant to be used for another 3 races under the new rules of 2008.
-- Starting grid if there are no further changes or penalties incurred by any of the drivers.

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Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved.

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