Formula 1: Hamilton to start from pole at Chinese Grand Prix

SHANGHAI-Championship leader Lewis Hamilton will start from pole position for the Chinese Formula One Grand Prix.

The McLaren driver set a best time of 1 minute, 36.303 seconds Saturday, and will start Sunday's race ahead of Ferrari pair Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa, who were second- and third-fastest.

Massa trails Hamilton by five points in the drivers' championship with two races left in the season.

Renault's Fernando Alonso, who won the past two races, will start fourth on the grid.

BMW's Robert Kubica, who still has slim hopes of snatching the title, put in his worst qualifying performance of the season and is in 12th spot.

-AP