McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton will start Sunday’s Chinese Grand Prix on pole position to become Formula One’s youngest and first rookie world champion.

The 22-year-old Briton, winner in the rain and spray of Japan last weekend, seized his sixth pole of the season on Saturday to line up alongside Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen on the front row for what is likely to be another wet and stormy race.

If he  wins, the title is his.  Hamilton’s closest rival, double world champion and team-mate Fernando Alonso who is 12 points behind with just one race remaining after Shanghai, qualified fourth with Ferrari’s Brazilian Felipe Massa in third place.

“It’s the place I needed to be,” said Hamilton, as obviously delighted with the outcome of qualifying as he was relieved by the decision of stewards the previous evening not to punish him for alleged erratic driving at Fuji.

‘Off the track’
Alonso did not attempt to hide his anger after the session, having earlier told Italy's Sky television that the championship “has been decided off the track.”

“Fourth place is the worst place to start tomorrow in terms of the championship battle,” he told reporters. “But we expect some rain tomorrow and we know what can happen in wet races.”

Briton David Coulthard qualified fifth for Red Bull with Ralf Schumacher, who announced on Monday that he was leaving Toyota, sixth.

Australian Mark Webber starts on the fourth row for Red Bull with Germany’s Nick Heidfeld in a BMW Sauber.