Räikkönen's best time (1:26.072) was faster than Alonso's by a significant margin, of 0.421 seconds, proving that the speed displayed by Ferrari was genuine. And the Finn expects to be even in the race: "I think our car is more competitive in race trim than over a single lap". However, there were mixed fortunes at the Scuderia, as Felipe Massa was unable to set a time in the second qualifying sector due to gearbox problems. The Brazilian will line up 16th.
Renault's spearhead was Giancarlo Fisichella, who qualified sixth, just behind Robert Kubica (BMW-Sauber), a massive 1.5 seconds down on the pole time. The Italian veteran was allegedly slowed down by traffic in the closing stages of qualifying. Team-mate Heikki Kovalainen finished 13th as he got his first taste of the high-pressure knockout qualifying format.
Red Bull Racing's local hero Mark Webber will start seventh, ahead of both Toyotas, but the surprise of the qualifying were last year's Honda-powered backmarkers Super Aguri, whose drivers outqualified better rated "big brother" team Honda. The Honda pair experienced a difficult qualifying session due to tire and handling issues. Jenson Button ended the day 14th, whilst team-mate Rubens Barrichello was knocked-out during the first of the three sessions and will line up 17th for the 58-lap race.
Super Aguri's impressive performance sparked controversy over customer cars. Dutch team Spyker promptly lodged a protest against the Japanese squad after qualifying in Melbourne as it believes the new Super Aguri SA07, only launched last week, is last year's Honda.
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