MANAMA, April 5, 2008 (AFP) - Robert Kubica, the first Polish driver in Formula One, secured the first pole position of his career here on Saturday when he planted his BMW at the front of the grid for Sunday´s Bahrain Grand Prix.

The 23-year-old from Krakow, taking part in only his 27th Grand Prix meeting, outpaced nearest rivals Brazilian Felipe Massa of Ferrari and old friend and current drivers championship leading Briton Lewis Hamilton of McLaren.

Kubica delivered a fastest lap of one minute and 33.096 seconds in the final stages of the third part-section of the Saturday session to give his team their first prime starting place.

Massa was second-fastest, endorsing his improved challenge this weekend after two pointless and error-strewn outings in Australian and Malaysia, and Hamilton third.

Hamilton, 23, crashed heavily in his McLaren on Friday afternoon in practice and had to use the team´s spare chassis, built up overnight at the circuit.

He put in a huge effort and set the fastest time of the part-session with seconds remaining, but it was not enough.

Kubica, who had an amazing escape from a dreadful crash in the Canadian Grand Prix last year, followed up his career-best second place in Malaysia two weeks ago with the maiden pole of his brief career in a thrilling climax to the session

Kubica, whose previous best qualifying was second in Australia last month, took pole by less than one-tenth of a second from Massa to confirm BMW´s emergence as a major contender alongside Ferrari and McLaren.

Defending world champion Finn Kimi Raikkonen will start fourth in the other Ferrari.

Massa had dominated proceedings on the 5.412 kms desert track in Sakhir where he roared to victory from pole last year.

But as the seconds ticked by to the end of the session first Hamilton displaced him from top spot before the British pilot, who leads the championship by three points, lost out to Kubica.

Massa was left as the last man on the track, but for the first time since practice began had to settle for second best as he just failed to regain his position at the top of the time-sheets.

Japan´s Takuma Sato crashed his Super Aguri in the first qualifying session after hitting the kerb at the final corner too hard.

The session was immediately red-flagged and halted for several minutes while marshals cleared the stricken car.

There was disappointment for Force India who had targeted progressing to the second qualifying session, but Italy´s Giancarlo Fisichella and Germany´s Adrian Sutil finished 18th and 20th respectively.

Red Bull´s British driver David Coulthard was also a surprise casualty of the opening session as he finished 17th fastest.

There was better news for Coulthard´s fellow Briton Jenson Button who made it into the top 10 shoot-out for the first time this year for Honda. He qualified a season´s best 10th.