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Button puts McLaren on pole in Belgium
Source: Agencies |
September 2, 2012, Sunday
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JENSON Button celebrated his 50th Formula One race for McLaren by ending a three-year wait and taking pole position in qualifying at the Belgian Grand Prix yesterday.
The pole was Button's first since the 2009 Monaco Grand Prix, the year in which he won a memorable championship with Brawn GP, and his first at McLaren and at the majestic Spa circuit.
Japan's Kamui Kobayashi put his Sauber on the front row, a career best for him and only the second time a Japanese driver has qualified so high on the grid, alongside the Briton with Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado in third place for Williams.
"It's been quite a long time since I got my last pole position," grinned Button, who whooped with delight after being told he was 'P1' over the team radio, on a sunlit afternoon after heavy rain washed out on Friday practice.
"It's pretty emotional ... it's so important to come back after such a long break with a good result on Saturday," added the Briton, referring to the August shutdown following the previous race in Hungary in July.
Button, who now has eight career poles to his credit, is only seventh in the championship and a massive 88 points adrift of Ferrari's overall leader Fernando Alonso but has refused to give up hope. The Briton has never won at Spa and nor has Alonso, who can rack up a record-equalling 24th successive points finish today and who qualified sixth behind the two Ferrari-powered Saubers.
Alonso's closest title rival, Red Bull's Australian Mark Webber, was seventh fastest but has a five-place penalty due to an unscheduled gearbox change.
Kimi Raikkonen, the driver with the best record at Spa in recent years with four wins at the longest circuit on the calendar, qualified fourth for Lotus ahead of Sauber's Mexican Sergio Perez.
Sauber's form was an eye-opener, with Kobayashi only the second Japanese ever to start a grand prix on the front row. The other was Takuma Sato who qualified second for the 2004 European Grand Prix at Nuerburgring, Germany.
"We expected a good weekend, but not to be second in qualifying. We expected a strong result, so we have a good chance in the race," said Kobayashi, who was just three tenths off Button's time.
Maldonado's third place was his best qualifying since he started on pole in Spain in May.
The pole was Button's first since the 2009 Monaco Grand Prix, the year in which he won a memorable championship with Brawn GP, and his first at McLaren and at the majestic Spa circuit.
Japan's Kamui Kobayashi put his Sauber on the front row, a career best for him and only the second time a Japanese driver has qualified so high on the grid, alongside the Briton with Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado in third place for Williams.
"It's been quite a long time since I got my last pole position," grinned Button, who whooped with delight after being told he was 'P1' over the team radio, on a sunlit afternoon after heavy rain washed out on Friday practice.
"It's pretty emotional ... it's so important to come back after such a long break with a good result on Saturday," added the Briton, referring to the August shutdown following the previous race in Hungary in July.
Button, who now has eight career poles to his credit, is only seventh in the championship and a massive 88 points adrift of Ferrari's overall leader Fernando Alonso but has refused to give up hope. The Briton has never won at Spa and nor has Alonso, who can rack up a record-equalling 24th successive points finish today and who qualified sixth behind the two Ferrari-powered Saubers.
Alonso's closest title rival, Red Bull's Australian Mark Webber, was seventh fastest but has a five-place penalty due to an unscheduled gearbox change.
Kimi Raikkonen, the driver with the best record at Spa in recent years with four wins at the longest circuit on the calendar, qualified fourth for Lotus ahead of Sauber's Mexican Sergio Perez.
Sauber's form was an eye-opener, with Kobayashi only the second Japanese ever to start a grand prix on the front row. The other was Takuma Sato who qualified second for the 2004 European Grand Prix at Nuerburgring, Germany.
"We expected a good weekend, but not to be second in qualifying. We expected a strong result, so we have a good chance in the race," said Kobayashi, who was just three tenths off Button's time.
Maldonado's third place was his best qualifying since he started on pole in Spain in May.
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