Formula One championship leader Lewis Hamilton appeared to escape serious injury when he crashed into a wall during qualifying Saturday for the European Grand Prix in Nuerburgring, Germany.

Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen took the pole position for Sunday's race, but all eyes were on Hamilton, who hit the wall hard after he slid across the gravel next to the track when the right-front wheel of his McLaren was damaged.

Lewis Hamilton leads the F1 driver standings in his rookie season.
(Clive Mason/Getty Images)

After spending about two hours under observation and undergoing a scan in a military hospital in nearby Koblenz, the Englishman returned to the circuit and his McLaren team's motorhome, hoping to race Sunday.

"It was a bit unfortunate, but I am feeling fine," Hamilton said. "I'm very fortunate, very lucky that I haven't got any bruises, although I'm sure I'll wake up with some.

"But the most important thing is I am OK."

If Hamilton races Sunday, he will start from 10th position on the grid.

Team boss Ron Dennis said the crash was caused by the "failure of the right-hand wheel gun, so effectively the wheel wasn't properly put on.

"At least we know we don't have a problem with the car," Dennis said.

The qualifying session was stopped with five minutes, 31 seconds remaining and it took about 30 minutes for the session to resume.

"Sometimes it's difficult to wait. You have to be patient and do the best you can when you go out again," said Raikkonen, who grabbed his second pole of the season and 13th of his career.

The Ferrari driver, who is coming off two consecutive wins, drove the fastest lap on the 5.1-kilometre Nuerburgring circuit, in one minute, 31.450 seconds.

Fernando Alonso, the two-time defending champion who trails McLaren teammate Hamilton by 12 points after nine of 17 races, was second in 1:31.741. Felipe Massa of Ferrari was third in 1:31.778.

Alonso wasn't worried about mechanical issues with his car.

"The car was running fine," he said. "But the best news of the day is that Lewis seems fine."

Raikkonen, who had the fastest times in two of three practice sessions, said his Ferrari was running well all weekend.

Ferrari won last year's race, with seven-time champion Michael Schumacher at the wheel in his final season before retiring.

Nick Heidfeld was fourth and Robert Kubica fifth, both in BMW-Sauber cars, while Mark Webber was sixth in his Red Bull.