Monaco Schumacher Takes Pole

Michael Schumacher controversially took pole position at Monaco today after dramatically spinning on his final lap.

His title rival Fernando Alonso looked sertain to take pole but Schmachers error at the Rascasse hairpin stopped Alonso among others from setting a faster time and led to accusations he had crashed on purpose.

Williams driver Mark Webber was an impressive third fastest, ahead of McLaren driver Kimi Raikkonen, Renault's Giancarlo Fisichella and Raikkonen's team-mate Juan Pablo Montoya.

Button's team-mate Rubens Barrichello did make the shootout and will line up seventh, ahead of the Toyota of Jarno Trulli and David Coulthard's Red Bull.

It was a touch too much going into that final corner, I locked up the front and went wide - I did not know where the other guys were

Webber's team-mate Nico Rosberg rounded out the top 10 in his first Monaco Grand Prix.

The manner of Schumacher's mistake brought claims from some of his rivals that he had deliberately stopped on the track to prevent anyone from challenging his pole position.

With Reanaults Flavio Briatore quotedvas saying "I think everybody thinks that [he did it deliberately], not only me. This is the way Ferrari manage."

But Schumacher is adament he made an error. saying it was a touch too much going into that final corner, I locked up the front and went wide. I did not know where the other guys were.

At the start I hadn't stalled the car but it was impossible to reverse because of the traffic behind me. There were cars coming behind me, I knew it, but I couldn't see them well enough to judge when to pull out. Then the engine stalled."

Fernado Alonso said the incident had cost him pole position, saying he was three-tenths quicker on that lap until the final corner,and would easily have had pole position. "After dominating the whole weekend, losing pole on the last lap like that is a shame."

Race officials are investigating the incident after Renault went to discuss Schumacher's behaviour with them, but F1 rules state drivers are not allowed to set a fastest time in a sector of the lap where there are warning flags for an accident.

Grid positions at 2006 Monaco Grand Prix:

1 Michael Schumacher Ferrari
2 Fernando Alonso Renault
3 Mark Webber Williams-Cosworth
4 Kimi Raikkonen McLaren-Mercedes
5 Giancarlo Fisichella Renault
6 Juan Pablo Montoya McLaren-Mercedes
7 Rubens Barrichello Honda
8 Jarno Trulli Toyota
9 David Coulthard Red Bull-Ferrari
10 Nico Rosberg Williams-Cosworth