Hamilton grabs German Grand Prix pole

HOCKENHEIM, Germany, July 19 (UPI) -- McLaren's Lewis Hamilton grabbed the pole position in Saturday's qualifying for the Formula One German Grand Prix in Hockenheim.

The Englisman steered his No. 22 McLaren Mercedes driver around the nearly three-mile Hockenheim Ring road course in one minute, 15.666 seconds, beating Ferrari's Felipe Massa by nearly a minute.

It gave Hamilton his third pole this season and ninth of his F1 career.

"My final lap went very smoothly," Hamilton said. "The wind was very strong and I felt it on blowing from the right and the left on the main straight."

Massa's time was 1:15.859.

Heikki Kovalainen (1:16.143) and Jarno Trulli (1:16.191) will start on Row 2, with 2007 F1 points champion Kimi Raikkonen of Ferrari securing the sixth position.

Raikkonen, Hamilton and Massa are locked in a three-way tie for the top spot in the latest driver standings.