Massa pole denies Schumi Japan GP record.

Felipe Massa took his second career pole position at Suzuka, denying Ferrari team-mate Michael Schumacher a record ninth P1 at the Japanese Grand Prix, but helping the Scuderia to annex the front row in round one of the two-race title showdown.

With Schumacher and Renault rival Fernando Alonso going into the final two rounds level in the standings - although Schumi has the advantage of one more race win - the qualifying result could not have been much better unless points were on offer for pole. To make matters even better for Ferrari, Renault, the best of the Michelin runners, could only manage fifth and sixth in a near role-reversal of China a week ago.

Although heavy clouds loomed over the horizon throughout the session, and got close enough to the circuit to begin depositing their payload as Q3 started, the rain was never heavy enough to halt the Bridgestone steamroller, which had seen Ferrari top the two earlier qualifying sessions plus morning practice. Schumacher laid down a marker in the 'untimed' session by posting a new unofficial lap record, and the German repeated the feat during Q2, lowering the benchmark to 1min 28.954secs.

It was Massa on top when it mattered though, the Brazilian posting a later lap than his team-mate in Q3 to return to the top of the timesheets, having taken P1 in Q1. On the earlier occasion, Massa had got away with a mistake on his fastest lap, but he was closer to perfect in the top ten shoot-out, pipping Schumacher by 0.112secs.

The top two positions had been settled by the time Renault learned its fate. Resigned to knowing that it would take a miracle to beat the Ferraris, the most Alonso and team-mate Giancarlo Fisichella could hope for was row two, and they appeared to be on course for just that before Toyota returned to the fray. Also-rans in Shanghai a week ago, Ralf Schumacher and Jarno Trulli had featured in each qualifying segment, and wound up their TF106s for a final assault that yielded third and fourth on rival Honda's home turf.

Relegated to row three - from where Schumacher Sr started in China - Renault had enough in hand to prevent becoming second best Michelin runner, with the two Hondas at least four tenths shy of improving. Jenson Button headed Rubens Barrichello as the two-by-two theme continued to row four. Alonso had forced his way into the queue at pit exit when the session started, determined to find space for an early lap as the clouds loomed overhead, but succeeded only in getting into a squabble with the Ferraris, which did him no good whatsoever. Renault, however, will make little of Toyota's efforts, as the Cologne-based team always seems to run better in Japan than anywhere else - and stop earlier for fuel too.

BMW's Nick Heidfeld and WilliamsF1's Nico Rosberg completed a top ten equally split between the two tyre companies. However, Ferrari's advantage as things stand only appears to be in danger if rain falls on race day - and it isn't forecast.

Heidfeld and Rosberg were probably grateful to McLaren for their top ten opportunities, the Woking team having come up well short in Q2. If Kimi Raikkonen is to break his victory duck this weekend, he will have to do it with the same sort of recovery drive as he put in in 2005.

Whether falling temperatures, a gusting wind and the wrong rubber had anything to do the lack of performance remains to be seen, but the second knock-out session proved to be a nightmare for McLaren, with Pedro de la Rosa also missing out, having failed to reprise his late escape from Q1. Raikkonen appeared to have a problem on his final qualifying lap, leaving him powerless to prevent Barrichello from vaulting above him in the order. de la Rosa, meanwhile, was simply unable to find the speed to climb out of the drop zone.

The silver arrows were not alone in making a big name exit, however, as BMW Sauber star Robert Kubica also failed to make the grade after slowing on his second flying effort. Mark Webber also dropped out, unable to take advantage of the apparently superior Bridgestone rubber. Christijan Albers and Tonio Liuzzi, both also on Bridgestones, completed the bottom six.

In contrast, Q1 was a little less dramatic, at least in terms of its victims, although Red Bull Racing duo David Coulthard and Robert Doornbos headlined the list of those failing to make the cut, having been dumped into the 'drop zone' by others' late escapes.

Once again, Coulthard was undone by future team-mate Webber, who posted a last-ditch lap to haul his Williams into tenth spot as the chequered flag fell, while Doornbos preceded the Scot into the bottom six when Fisichella completed his first flying lap with two minutes to run. Neither Red Bull was on track at the close, leaving them powerless to avoid joining Sakon Yamamoto - let down by his Super Aguri mechanicals on home soil - Tiago Monteiro, Takuma Sato and Scott Speed, the American completing a miserable 15 minutes for the Red Bull brand.

Toro Rosso team-mate Liuzzi at least ensured that there would be one Red Bull-backed car in the second stage of qualifying, and went on to claim 15th on the grid, but Coulthard missed out by just 0.032secs, Albers' Spyker clinging to the final guaranteed spot.