BARCELONA, 8 May 2005 — Italian Jarno Trulli outpaced home favorite Fernando Alonso and collected Toyota’s first provisional pole position yesterday when he clocked the fastest time in first qualifying for today’s Spanish Grand Prix.

The popular Italian, in a Toyota, produced a best lap of one minute and 14.795 seconds to top the times and resist pressure from all his rivals in the final seconds of a thrilling session played out in front of a packed crowd basking in warm sunshine at the Circuit de Catallunya.

Alonso, the early season championship leader, ended up second-fastest in his Renault and was greeted with a great round of applause from the happy home crowd while his team chief Flavio Briatore smiled from ear to ear.

He was only 0.016 seconds of a second behind Trulli’s time. Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya was the first man out in his McLaren and he quickly proved that despite missing two races with a cracked shoulder and suffering in a high-speed collision in Friday’s practice sessions that he was capable of lapping at speed.

Unfortunately for him, his speed was not sufficient to withstand the challenges of those who followed and within minutes Italy’s Giancarlo Fisichella in a Renault had taken over as the fastest man. Fisichella, winner of the Australian Grand Prix, was usurped at the top of the time-screens when the latest flying Finn Kimi Raikkonen in the second McLaren outpaced all his predecessors on the circuit. His lap in one minute and 14.870 seconds kept him on top for a while before Trulli in his Toyota clocked a faster time in 1:14.795. He stayed on top for several minutes, too, as many tried to dislodge him including defending world drivers champion Michael Schumacher who recorded the sixth best time, at that stage, in his Ferrari. Then Alonso arrived on the track to a crescendo of klaxons from the packed crowd and delivered his lap, the second best of the day.

Cricketer Tendulkar Supports Karthikeyan

India’s Narain Karthikeyan will have the support of his country’s biggest sporting idol in today’s Spanish Formula One Grand Prix.

Cricket great Sachin Tendulkar, a keen motor racing fan, is in Barcelona for the race in which Jordan driver Karthikeyan will be looking for a strong finish in the fifth race of his debut season in the Formula One championship.

“He’s India’s biggest star so it’s a great feeling to have him here,” Karthikeyan said yesterday.

“He’s become a good friend. He sometimes gives me advice because he has lots of experience of being under pressure,” the 28-year-old driver told Reuters.

Tendulkar, who had gone into the pits earlier for a photo shoot in Karthikeyan’s Toyota-powered car, said: I’m very happy to be here...being a countryman our support is always with him.

“We all stand by him whatever ups and downs he goes through.”