Schumacher takes pole in Malaysia

Ferrari's Michael Schumacher fended off Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya on Saturday to take pole position for Sunday's Malaysian Formula One Grand Prix.

The four times world champion remains the only driver to start on pole in Malaysia, having out-qualified all his rivals in every race at Sepang since the circuit's championship debut in 1999. He has also won two of the three races.

Schumacher's time of one minute 35.266 seconds on a hot and sticky afternoon was slower than his 2001 pole record of 1:35.220 but 0.231 faster than Montoya's in the quicker of the two Williams.

But the German's achievement left no doubt that the Bridgestone tyres used by Ferrari were still a match in the hot conditions for the Michelins of Williams and McLaren.

Montoya's team mate and Michael's younger brother Ralf qualified on the second row with the fourth fastest time and will start alongside the Ferrari of Brazilian Rubens Barrichello, who was third quickest.

The two men blamed each other two weeks ago when Ralf rammed in to Barrichello's car after the Brazilian set pole position in Australia. That pile-up in the season-opening race took eight cars out of the competition.

McLaren filled the third row, with Finland's Kimi Raikkonen a fraction ahead of team mate David Coulthard