Raikkonen puts McLaren on pole for German GP

HOCKENHEIM, Germany, July 29 (Reuters) Kimi Raikkonen seized McLaren's first pole position of the Formula One season at the German Grand Prix today.

The Finn will share the front row with Ferrari's seven-times world champion Michael Schumacher, who missed out on a third successive pole position by 0.135 seconds in front of his raucous home fans.

Renault's world champion Fernando Alonso, winner at Hockenheim last year and 17 points clear of Schumacher in the championship with seven races remaining, qualified a distant seventh.

Raikkonen's pole was McLaren's first since Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya in Belgium in September last year. It was the ninth of the Finn's career.

Brazilian Felipe Massa was third for Ferrari with Briton Jenson Button fourth for Honda.

REUTERS DH KP1924