Hamilton on pole for US Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton captured his second pole position in a row at the US Grand Prix on Saturday to put more pressure on McLaren team mate Fernando Alonso.

The British rookie, who celebrated his first Formula One pole in Canada last weekend, pipped double world champion Alonso in final qualifying on another sizzling hot day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Sunday's race will be the third in a row with an all-McLaren front row. Championship leader Hamilton, the winner in Montreal, leads Alonso by eight points in the championship after six races.

After struggling in the last two races, Ferrari returned to form by sweeping the second row with Brazil's Felipe Massa clocking the third fastest effort followed by Finland's Kimi Raikkonen.

German teenager Sebastian Vettel, who will make his Formula One race debut on Sunday in place of Robert Kubica after the Pole failed a fitness test following his big crash in Canada, will start a superb seventh for BMW Sauber.

Provisional starting grid for the US Grand Prix:

1. Lewis Hamilton (Britain) McLaren

2. Fernando Alonso (Spain) McLaren

3. Felipe Massa (Brazil) Ferrari

4. Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Ferrari

5. Nick Heidfeld (Germany) BMW Sauber

6. Heikki Kovalainen (Finland) Renault

7. Sebastian Vettel (Germany) BMW Sauber

8. Jarno Trulli (Italy) Toyota

9. Mark Webber (Australia) RedBull - Renault

10. Giancarlo Fisichella (Italy) Renault

11. David Coulthard (Britain) RedBull - Renault