May 09, 2009

Championship leader Jenson Button grabbed pole position for the Formula One Spanish Grand Prix in his Brawn GP with a dramatic last-gasp final lap in a thrilling qualifying session.

Button, who has won three of the four races this year, clocked a time of 1min 20.527sec in the third qualifying session to claim the No.1 spot on the grid ahead of German Sebastian Vettel, in a Red Bull.

Mark Webber was fifth in the other Red Bull, the Australian having run second fastest in both earlier sessions.

As fellow Briton and reigning champion Lewis Hamilton failed to make the last 10 cut for the third qualifying session, Button's third pole so far this year proved that he and Brawn remain the outfit to beat in the 66-lap race at the Circuit de Catalunya.

Vettel, 21, who has emerged this season as a champion of the future, was second ahead of Button's Brawn team-mate Rubens Barrichello and Felipe Massa.

Massa's Ferrari team-mate, Kimi Raikkonen, made a shock early exit when he was knocked out in the first part of the session .

Sixth fastest was German Timo Glock followed by Toyota team-mate Italian Jarno Trulli.

Two-times champion Fernando Alonso of Spain was eighth for Renault ahead of German Nico Rosberg in a Williams and Poland's Robert Kubica in a BMW Sauber.


Starting grid

1. Jenson Button (ENG/BRA)

2. Sebastian Vettel (GER/RBR)

3. Rubens Barrichello (BRA/BRA)

4. Felipe Massa (BRA/FER)

5. Mark Webber (AUS/RBR)

6. Timo Glock (GER/TOY)

7. Jarno Trulli (ITA/TOY)

8. Fernando Alonso (ESP/REN)

9. Nico Rosberg (GER/WIL)

10. Robert Kubica (POL/BMW)

11. Kazuki Nakajima (JPN/WIL)

12. Nelson Piquet (BRA/REN)

13. Nick Heidfeld (GER/BMW)

14. Lewis Hamilton (ENG/MLA)

15. Sebastien Buemi (SUI/TOR)

16. Kimi Raikkonen (FIN/FER)

17. Sebastien Bourdais (FRA/TOR)

18. Heikki Kovalainen (FIN/MLA)

19. Adrian Sutil (GER/FOR)

20. Giancarlo Fisichella (ITA/FOR)