BERLIN, July 21 (Xinhua) -- Formula One championship leader Lewis Hamilton crashed his car to the tyre wall at the qualifying race of the European Grand Prix near Western German city of Nurburgring on Saturday.

    The 22-year-old McLaren driver said later he was fine and wanted to race on Sunday.

    "I'm absolutely fine and we will see later if I am able to race tomorrow," he said in a team statement after being taken to German military hospital for a precautionary CT scan.

    "I really hope I can race," he added.

    Hamilton, 12 points clear of double world champion team mate Fernando Alonso in the standings after nine podium finishes in a row, brought qualifying to a halt when he left the track at around 260kph and ploughed into the tyre wall.

    The session remained red-flagged for more than half an hour while doctors attended to him and the debris was cleared away.

    Hamilton, wearing an oxygen mask and with a drip applied, waved and gave a thumbs-up sign as he was taken to a waiting ambulance.

    McLaren Team manager Ron Dennis said the accident was probably caused by a faulty wheel gun which failed to tighten a nut on the McLaren's right front wheel.

    Hamilton had been fifth in qualifying when he crashed. He ended up 10th and will start in that position if he can go to race on Sunday.

    Kimi Raikkonen claimed the pole position for Sunday's race after setting a stunning pace in qualifying on Saturday. This is his first pole since the season-opening Australian Grand Prix and the 13th of his career.

    World champion Fernando Alonso finished second in the qualifying.