Sunday, March 6 2005 10:06 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Melbourne: Narain Karthikeyan will start in 12th place at the season opening Australian Grand Prix where Renault's Giancarlo Fisichella won the pole today (Mar 6, 2005).

The Indian driver, who had secured the ninth place in the first qualifying yesterday (Mar 5, 2005), dropped three places today despite coming up with a better timing at 1 minute 32.735, which was almost 12 seconds faster than his previous effort.

Karthikeyan, driving Jordan, finished the two qualifying rounds at a combined timing of 3 minutes 17.092 seconds at the Albert Park Circuit at Melbourne.

Fisichella completed his second qualifying lap in 1 minute, 28.289 seconds for an aggregate time of 3:01.46.

Seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher will start at the back of the grid in his Ferrari. Schumacher, who started on pole in three of the previous four years at Melbourne's Albert Park circuit, did not bother doing a qualifying lap after his rain-marred lap yesterday.

Toyota's Jarno Trulli held the second place followed by Williams' Mark Webber.