US GP: McLaren Saturday qualifying notes

Vodafone McLaren Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso will start Sunday's United States Grand Prix in Indianapolis from the front row. Lewis is on pole position after setting a time of 1m12.331 whilst Fernando qualified second fastest with 1min12.500 - making it the third consecutive all Vodafone McLaren Mercedes front row since the Monaco Grand Prix. For Lewis it is the second pole position in a row.

Lewis Hamilton:

"To be on pole once again within a week is fantastic -- I like North America! The fans here have been so enthusiastic and supportive for the team, and I hope they enjoyed today. I screamed into my helmet when I got the confirmation from the team of the pole position. It's a challenge to come to a track for the first time, and I have learnt new things every single corner and every single lap."

"I knew I had to push very hard in my second run in Q3. The car is working well, and the team has done a great job -- for us to have both cars on the front row is a real advantage, and hopefully the team will be able to make the best of it in tomorrow's race."

Fernando Alonso:

"I have had a really quick car all weekend and have been fastest in all practice sessions and the first two parts of qualifying. As a result I'm extremely confident for the race tomorrow and am pleased that the team occupy the front row. I was pushing hard on my last qualifying lap and whilst I was slightly up in the first sector it was not quite enough as I lost some time in the second sector."

"However the car is working well, and we have had consistent lap times. The two tyre options we have this weekend are close in their performances which gives us reason to be optimistic for the race tomorrow. I'm really looking forward to it and hope that I can continue my best ever performance at Indianapolis so far."

Ron Dennis:

"The best possible start to the United States Grand Prix with both drivers putting in strong performances. The team has once again worked hard to achieve today's result. Both Fernando and Lewis have been consistently quick throughout the weekend which gives us confidence that we are able to have a competitive race and gain further points for our World Championships battle."

Norbert Haug:

"A brilliant performance by both Lewis, Fernando and the entire team. This is the third one-two qualifying result for us in a row and the second consecutive pole position for Lewis with Fernando less than two tenths of a second behind in second place. A great result for Vodafone McLaren Mercedes in the important United States Grand Prix. I hope we can achieve a similar result tomorrow, but of course it will be a very tough race with strong competitors."

Chassis allocation
Fernando Alonso: MP4-22 06
Lewis Hamilton: MP4-22 01
T-car: MP4-22 05

-credit: mclaren