Motor Racing: Sensational Hamilton Powers to Pole Position

Lewis Hamilton might have felt hard done by in Monaco two weeks ago, but yesterday he gained important psychological ground by claiming pole for the Canadian Grand Prix.

Hamilton's first pole position looked in doubt until the closing seconds of qualifying. Fernando Alonso, the winner in Monte Carlo, had been quicker than Hamilton until the Spaniard ran wide at the hairpin at the top end of the circuit. Alonso then settled for second place on the grid to give McLaren the front row, ahead of the BMW of Nick Heidfeld and the Ferraris of Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa.

'It's a fantastic feeling,' said Hamilton. 'Pole for the first time on a circuit I don't know makes me feel really good. Once again, we have the pace and it came down to this and the last minute. It's not easy, especially when you have a two-time world champion hunting you down. But I did it.

'It took a while to learn the track because it's quite demanding physically and mentally. On Friday night, I thought about how I could improve. During that final lap, the car was sweet and the tyres were perfect. Each sector of the lap was consistent. I didn't make a mistake and got the time. I knew the lap was perfect and didn't want to mess it up in the final corner - but I went through it faster than I have ever done before. A great feeling.'

Alonso could only rue the slight error on what, until then, was going to be the fastest lap. 'I got slightly off line at the hairpin,' he said. 'I picked up some dirt on the tyres, lost grip and lost three-tenths of a second. I knew there was no point in risking anything at the final corner and I just did enough to keep on the front row. We have been developing the car and it seems we can keep this momentum. The car has improved from the first two or three races and now we can fight on any circuit.'

Hamilton's broad grin suggested that his first pole position gives him the first opportunity to lead from the start and beat Alonso.

'Pole position is another step in my steep learning curve,' said Hamilton. 'But I know the race is going to be tough. I have not been fortunate enough to start from pole before, but we have the strategy to win. I know I need to stay consistent, make a good start and stay in front. I'm really looking forward to it. I feel fantastic.'

Heidfeld and BMW were surprised to be third fastest after the German driver had experienced problems with his car during free practice in the morning. BMW's achievement exacerbated Ferrari's disappointment at not getting on to the front row after the drubbing received from McLaren in Monaco.

Michael Schumacher has been evident in the Ferrari garage for the third race in succession, fueling wild rumors that the former champion is considering a comeback eight months after driving his last race. Schumacher was expected to attend only the occasional race, but it seems that boredom might have set in early. Either way, his presence in an advisory role might be unsettling for Raikkonen, who appears to be the less secure of the present drivers and desperately needs to win today to maintain his championship momentum.

The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is difficult enough for drivers without having the nagging fear of a mechanical failure on a fast track lined by walls. Jarno Trulli suffered two identical failures on the right-front suspension of his Toyota, a rare occurrence given the high standard of technology and quality control evident in F1, particularly on such a vital component. It was not the sort of worry a driver needs on a circuit with a top speed of 190mph and corners taken at 80mph.

'If you are a driver then things can happen once, but when it happens again you will start thinking twice before you get in a car at a circuit where there are not huge run off areas and high-speed corners,' said Trulli. 'I am a racing driver, so if I have to go out then I will go out, but you will always have a question mark.'

Toyota's technical chief, Pascal Vasselon, said the team, in conjunction with technicians at their headquarters in Cologne, had worked on the problem overnight and were at a loss to explain why the failure had occurred. Toyota were running a slightly revised suspension configuration on Friday, but with tried-and-tested parts that had been used since the last race of the 2005 season. The titanium upright that carries the wheel had broken at the point where the pushrod, an integral and heavily loaded part of the suspension, joins the upright.

The suspension was returned to its original set-up for yesterday's practice. As an additional precaution, Toyota asked their drivers, Trulli and Ralf Schumacher, not to attack the highest point of the kerb at Turn 8, the right-hand corner where both failures occurred. It was a difficult request since every driver knows that riding the kerbs is essential to a fast lap at Montreal.

This has been an embarrassing development for Toyota as the Japanese firm continues to struggle to make their car competitive enough to challenge the front runners, McLaren, Ferrari and BMW. Trulli's 10th fastest lap was a remarkable display of mind over matter.