Ferrari's Michael Schumacher will start Sunday's Monaco Grand Prix on pole position with Renault's world champion Fernando Alonso alongside him on the front row.
Schumacher, who could equal Brazilian Ayrton Senna's record of six wins in the Mediterranean principality, claimed his 67th career pole in controversial circumstances.
The seven times world champion ran wide and stopped on the exit to the penultimate corner in the closing seconds of the final session, with Alonso and others still to complete their final flying laps behind him.
Furious Renault team boss Flavio Briatore said it looked like Schumacher had done it on purpose.
"He's just parking the car," Briatore told ITV television. "This is the way Ferrari manage."
Australian Mark Webber was third fastest for Williams with McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen, last year's winner, fourth.
Renault's Giancarlo Fisichella starts on the third row with McLaren's Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya, the 2003 winner.
Ferrari's Felipe Massa will start at the back of the grid after crashing in the first part of qualifying.
The Brazilian speared left into the tyre barrier on the blind crest of Casino Square, briefly stopping the session while the car was removed from the track.
Starting Grid
1. Michael Schumacher (Germany) Ferrari
2. Fernando Alonso (Spain) Renault
3. Mark Webber (Australia) Williams - Cosworth
4. Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) McLaren
5. Giancarlo Fisichella (Italy) Renault
6. Juan Pablo Montoya (Colombia) McLaren
7. Rubens Barrichello (Brazil) Honda
8. Jarno Trulli (Italy) Toyota
9. David Coulthard (Britain) RedBull - Ferrari
10. Nico Rosberg (Germany) Williams - Cosworth
11. Ralf Schumacher (Germany) Toyota
12. Christian Klien (Austria) RedBull - Ferrari
13. Vitantonio Liuzzi (Italy) Toro Rosso - Cosworth
14. Jenson Button (Britain) Honda
15. Jacques Villeneuve (Canada) BMW Sauber
16. Nick Heidfeld (Germany) BMW Sauber
17. Christijan Albers (Netherlands) MF1 - Toyota
18. Tiago Monteiro (Portugal) MF1 - Toyota
19. Scott Speed (US) Toro Rosso - Cosworth
20. Takuma Sato (Japan) Super Aguri - Honda
21. Franck Montagny (France) Super Aguri - Honda
22. Felipe Massa (Brazil) Ferrari