FELIPE Massa clinched a third successive pole position for Sunday's Turkish Grand Prix, making the perfect start to his bid for a hat-trick of victories at Istanbul Park.

Massa has reigned supreme on this track for the last two years, and with all three races in Istanbul being won from pole since the track's debut in 2005, the Brazilian will start a hot favourite for the win.

Behind Massa, who claimed the 12th pole overall of his Formula One career, come the McLaren duo of Heikki Kovalainen and Lewis Hamilton.

For Kovalainen, racing this weekend after passing a medical in the wake of his 150mph shunt in the Spanish Grand Prix a fortnight ago, it was a superb achievement, with the Finn starting from the highest grid position of his career.

Hamilton at least edged out reigning world champion Kimi Raikkonen into fourth as the Briton seeks to close the nine-point gap at the top of the drivers' standings to the Ferrari star.

Robert Kubica starts fifth for BMW Sauber, followed by Mark Webber in his Red Bull and then Fernando Alonso in an Enstone-built Renault.

Completing the top 10 on the grid will be Jarno Trulli for Toyota, BMW Sauber's Nick Heidfeld - celebrating his 31st birthday today - and David Coulthard in his Red Bull.

With the Leafield-based Super Aguri team absent following the financial collapse earlier this week of the small Japanese privateer, the FIA were forced into a minor revamp for qualifying.

In previous grands prix when there has been a 22-car field, six drivers dropped out at the end of Q1 and Q2.

However, with only 20 cars to line up on the grid from Sunday, five drivers are now eliminated come the conclusion of the first two sessions.