SILVERSTONE, England (AFP) - Finland's Heikki Kovalainen will start the British Formula One Grand Prix on Sunday in pole position after the McLaren-Mercedes driver posted the best official qualifying time here on Saturday.

The Finn, who has never started from pole before, produced an inspired final lap of 1:21.049, more than half a second faster than Red Bull's Mark Webber who will start from second.

However, even after such an impressive performance Kovalainen will have his work cut out to add a maiden race win to his pole position.

The Finn will have the Ferrari of world champion Kimi Raikkonen and also his McLaren teammate Lewis Hamilton breathing down his neck from third and fourth on the grid respectively.

BMW Sauber's Nick Heidfeld will start fifth just ahead of Spanish Renault driver Fernando Alonso.

Nelson Piquet steered the other Renault to seventh on the grid while Toro Rosso's Sebastian Vettel and Ferrari's world championship leader Felipe Massa will start eighth and ninth respectively.

The BMW of Poland's Robert Kubica completes the top 10.

Qualifying times:

1. Heikki Kovalainen (FIN) McLaren-Mercedes 1:21.049

2. Mark Webber (AUS) Red Bull-Renault 1:21.554

3. Kimi Raikkonen (FIN) Ferrari 1:21.706

4. Lewis Hamilton (GBR) McLaren-Mercedes 1:21.835

5. Nick Heidfeld (GER) BMW Sauber 1:21.873

6. Fernando Alonso (ESP) Renault 1:22.029

7. Nelson Piquet Jr (BRA) Renault 1:22.491

8. Sebastian Vettel (GER) Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1:23.251

9. Felipe Massa (BRA) Ferrari 1:23.305

10. Robert Kubica (POL) BMW Sauber