Comeback sign? Schumacher wins Bahrain pole
(AP)
Updated: 2006-03-12 11:54

SAKHIR, Bahrain (AP) -- Ferrari's Michael Schumacher secured pole position Saturday for the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix, while McLaren Mercedes' Kimi Raikkonen retired from qualifying before he could complete a lap and will start from the back of the grid.

German Ferrari driver Michael Schumacher celebrates after winning the pole position during the qualifying session of the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix at Sakhir racetrack in Manama. Schumacher showed his return to form when he stormed to a Ferrari 1-2 to take pole position for Sunday's season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.[AFP]

Schumacher's 65th career pole tied Ayrton Senna's record and led a Ferrari 1-2 for Sunday's race -- 57 laps on the 3.37-mile Bahrain International Circuit. The German's new teammate, 24-year-old Felipe Massa, was second.

It was Schumacher's first pole since August 2005's Hungarian Grand Prix -- his only pole last season. Schumacher finished the season a distant third, behind Renault's Fernando Alonso and Raikkonen.

"It has been too long ago. Too much time ago," Schumacher said. "To be on front row and be so competitive is a nice surprise, particularly if you can imagine what happened last year."

Honda's Jenson Button landed third position with 1:31.549, while defending champion Alonso managed fourth with 1:31,702.

Schumacher won Bahrain's first race in 2004, when he also started from the pole position.

In the last five minutes of Saturday's final qualifying session, Ferrari's German and Brazilian drivers entered what appeared to be a personal duel, each topping the other's time more than once before Schumacher came out on top.

"It is an amazing result. All winter we knew we seemed to have a good package but then you wait for the final confirmation," Schumacher said.

Raikkonen, one of the favorites this season after finishing second in last year's championship, completed the first sector in the fastest time but lost a wing 10 minutes into the first qualifying session. He lost control of the car, which spun off, briefly went airborne and lost his right rear wheel, which remained attached to the car by wheel tethers. He drove back to the pit on three wheels.

Last season, Raikkonen had several engine failures, which lowered his points tally and contributed to his finishing second to Fernando Alonso. Raikkonen was moved down the grid four times in nine races, and led three races before his car failed, once on the final lap.

Saturday's qualifying introduced a new system to even out competition and boost interest in the sport.

Qualifying was held in three phases. The six slowest cars dropped out after the first 15 minutes, and six more departed after the next 15. The remaining cars competed in a 20-minute session for the top spots on the grid.

Rule changes last season brought Ferrari back to the pack, with Alonso and Raikkonen pushing Schumacher to third place in the driver standings -- his lowest full-season finish since joining Ferrari in 1996. He finished fifth in 1999 when he missed seven races because of a broken leg.

The new system meant that, unlike previous seasons, Raikkonen's mishap meant McLaren-Mercedes did not get a chance to repair the car and give Raikkonen a second shot at securing a better time and challenge for pole.