MOTOR RACING / USA GRAND PRIX : Alesi Pulls Off Surprise, Winning Provisional Pole

Rookie driver Jean Alesi created quite a sensation here last year when he almost stole the Iceberg USA Grand Prix from world Formula One champions Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost.

Alesi, a refreshing Frenchman only a year removed from Formula 3000, finished second in a Tyrrell after leading half the race before being passed by Senna.

That performance, followed by another second-place finish at Monte Carlo, earned Alesi, 26, a ride with the Ferrari team this season.

Friday, in his debut with the red Italian car, he stole the pole--provisionally--from Senna on his last lap around the 2.312-mile street circuit. He clocked 99.656 m.p.h., a record for the Phoenix race although on a course slightly revamped from the last two years.

Until Alesi’s shocking lap, Senna’s McLaren-Honda had been fastest at 99.645, more than a full second faster than anyone else among the 30 qualifiers.

“I was very nervous my first laps,” Alesi said. “I followed (team manager) Cesare Fiorio’s advice and took it easy on the first few laps and then drove flat out on the second set of qualifying tires. It was like a dream.

“For sure McLaren will be pushing hard to get the pole back tomorrow. I am happy I made my fast lap. But it is only one day. We still must come back tomorrow to complete the job.”

Another hour of qualifying today will set the field of 26 cars for Sunday’s race, first of 16 in the world Formula One championship.

Prost, Ferrari’s acknowledged No. 1 driver, was third on the provisional grid with a lap at 98.668.

The old Phoenix record was 93.311 m.p.h. by Gerhard Berger in a McLaren-Honda last year.