FUJI SPEEDWAY (Japan) - ENGLAND'S Lewis Hamilton took pole position for the Japanese Grand Prix after winning the qualifying session in a McLaren-Mercedes here on Saturday.

Sunday's race, the first in 30 years to be held at Fuji Speedway, is the 15th leg of the 17-race world championship.

Spain's Fernando Alonso, the reigning world champion, made it a one-two with Hamilton for McLaren-Mercedes to finish second fastest in qualifying and will sit slightly behind his teammate.

Kimi Raikkonen of Finland, the winner of the 14th leg in Belgium for his fourth victory of the season, took third position, followed by fellow Ferrari driver Felipe Massa of Brazil in fourth.

Going into Sunday's race, championship-leading British rookie Hamilton, on 97 points with three wins, holds a two-point lead over Alonso, with Raikkonen in third on 84 points and Massa in fourth on 77 points.

Ralf Schumacher of Germany, driving on his Toyota's home ground here, crashed against Japanese Spyker driver Sakon Yamamoto at the end of the first qualifying session and did not compete in the second and third sessions. -- AFP