Highlights

Fisichella to start on pole in Malaysia

(AP)
Updated: 2006-03-18 19:51

The Italian dropped out of last week's season-opening Bahrain GP after 21 laps with engine problems.

"It's a great answer after the last race when we made a big mistake," he said of his pole position. "We know what the problem was and it should not happen again."

Honda's Jenson Button was second in 1:33.986 seconds while rookie Nico Rosberg of Williams was third with 1:34.626 and will share the second row with Schumacher.

With track temperatures rising above 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit), Fisichella gained pole with a late rush _ and declared himself ready for a hot race.

"It is really tough. Physically, mentally I feel all right," Fisichella said. "It is a tough race but it will be the same for everyone."

Button, who hasn't won in six full seasons of Formula One, feels the same way.

"It's going to be tough on everything _ drivers, cars, tires and engine. But I think we are well prepared," he said.

Rosberg was just nine years old when Schumacher won his first world championship in 1994.

Now he is beating Schumacher.

"Not too bad I must say," said Rosberg, the son of former world champion Keke Rosberg.

But he downplayed the fact that as a rookie, he is making it look easy by having the fastest lap in the first race of the season.

"That's not true. It is not easy at all," he said.

Schumacher barely made it through to challenge for pole. In the new qualifying format, he was 16th after the first 15-minute session. Only the top 16 advance and the bottom six drop out.

He had a time of 1:35.810 with American Scott Speed in a Toro Rosso eliminated at 1:36.247 for 17th.