Unlucky 13 for Hamilton: Brit pays the penalty as Raikkonen claims 200th pole for Ferrari

The British driver cut a disconsolate figure after contributing to his 13th-place start by drifting wide at the same corner during successive laps in qualifying at Magny-Cours.

Keeping cool: Lewis Hamilton

Although his time was still the third fastest, the 10-place grid penalty, imposed on him for crashing into the back of Kimi Raikkonen's Ferrari in Canada a fortnight ago, leaves him stranded in midfield. But in stark contrast to his behaviour in Montreal, he immediately put his hands up for this latest costly glitch.

'It was quite a disappointing qualifying for me,' said the 23 year old.

'I have to apologise to the team as I did not do a great job at all.

'I had the same mistake on both of them at the exit of turn seven, went wide and, for sure, lost at least three-tenths or something there. But that's life.

'I was pushing, trying to get the best out of the car. I believe I did in most areas except that one, so we just missed out but, nevertheless, we will push very hard tomorrow.'

The scene appears set for a Ferrari win after world champion Raikkonen claimed the Scuderia's 200th pole position, with his team-mate Felipe Massa completing the Italian team's third front-row lock-out of the season.

It means Hamilton has it all to do to keep his season on track. He lies second in the championship, four points behind BMW's Robert Kubica - who starts from fifth - and level on points with Massa. Raikkonen is another three adrift of the leader.

But Hamilton, who is desperate to go the British Grand Prix on July 6 still in the thick of the title hunt, added: 'The 10-place penalty doesn't help, obviously. You know the team have done absolutely everything they can to get you there and make sure the car is the best and then you arrive there and you automatically have a 10-place penalty.

'Rules are rules, I guess, so we will just do the best job we can. We will take it on the chin, learn from it and make sure it doesn't happen again. It's going to be a long, hard race.

Overtaking is difficult here but I will push as hard as I can and hopefully score some points.'

Hamilton can derive encouragement from Raikkonen's own performance in 2005 when he was third fastest before being pushed back to 13th on the grid - only to finish second. There is also a chance of thunderstorms, which would play into his hands.

Raikkonen, looking for his third victory of the season, starts in confident mood, saying: 'The car's been quick all weekend. Here, first place is the best place to start from. It would be disappointing not to win from here and I need the points.'

McLaren's miserable day was completed when Heikki Kovalainen was penalised five grid places for impeding Red Bull's Mark Webber in qualifying. The Finn will now start 10th. David Coulthard, is seventh on the grid in his Red Bull while Jenson Button (Honda) is down in 16th place.