Hamilton on pole, Alonso second in Fuji

F1 championship leader Lewis Hamilton will start Sunday's Japanese Grand Prixon pole position with title rival and McLaren team mate Fernando Alonso alongside on the front row.

The 22-year-old British rookie punched the air in jubilation as he crossed the line in the final seconds of the session to push the Spaniard off the top slot with a lap of 1:25.368 seconds.

Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen qualified third with Brazilian team mate Felipe Massa fourth.

Hamilton leads double world champion Alonso by two points in the championship with three races remaining.