Lewis Hamilton on pole in Singapore

• Hamilton quickest ahead of Sebastian Vettel and Nico Rosberg• Button qualifies 12th two places behind Rubens BarrichelloLewis Hamilton secured pole for the Singapore grand prix but there was disappointment for championship leader, Jenson Button, whose world title hopes were dealt a blow by qualifying in 12th place on the grid.Hamilton, whose engineers worked through the night to fit a new chassis for his McLaren, impressed in practice and took that form into qualifying as he clocked a time of 1min 47.891sec in Q3 at the Marina Bay street circuit.In contrast, Button had struggled in practice after his Brawn car had been switched to the same set-up as team-mate Rubens Barrichello. Though they reverted it to yesterday's settings, the 29-year-old failed to threaten, with Sebastian Vettel's Red Bull taking second and the Williams of Nico Rosberg third.Barrichello, who will be looking to cut into Button's 14-point lead tomorrow, was fifth fastest before crashing with 26 seconds of qualifying remaining but will start from 10th on the grid tomorrow after being hit with a five-place grid penalty for changing his gearbox prior to the session.Race standings1 Lewis Hamilton (Gbr) McLaren 1min 47.891secs, 2 Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Red Bull 1:48.204, 3 Nico Rosberg (Ger) Williams 1:48.348, 4 Mark Webber (Aus) Red Bull 1:48.722, 5 Rubens Barrichello (Bra) Brawn GP 1:48.828, 6 Fernando Alonso (Spa) Renault 1:49.054, 7 Timo Glock (Ger) Toyota 1:49.180, 8 Nick Heidfeld (Ger) BMW Sauber 1:49.307, 9 Robert Kubica (Pol) BMW Sauber 1:49.514, 10 Heikki Kovalainen (Fin) McLaren 1:49.778, 11 Kazuki Nakajima (Jpn) Williams 1:47.013, 12 Jenson Button (Gbr) Brawn GP 1:47.141, 13 Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) Ferrari 1:47.177, 14 Sebastien Buemi (Swi) Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:47.369, 15 Jarno Trulli (Ita) Toyota 1:47.413, 16 Adrian Sutil (Ger) Force India 1:48.231, 17 Jaime Alguersuari (Spa) Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:48.340, 18 Giancarlo Fisichella (Ita) Ferrari 1:48.350, 19 Romain Grosjean (Fra) Renault 1:48.544, 20 Vitantonio Liuzzi (Ita) Force India 1:48.792Note: Rubens Barrichello will start the race in 10th position following a five place penalty for a gearbox replacement.Formula OneLewis HamiltonJenson ButtonMcLarenBrawnMotor sportguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Jenson Button wins world title

• Briton seals championship after steady drive to fifth position• Pole-sitter and team-mate Barrichello suffers bad luckJenson Button has secured his maiden Formula One world championship for Brawn GP in the penultimate race of the season as Red Bull's Mark Webber won the Brazilian Grand Prix.Button took fifth place as his team-mate and rival Rubens Barrichello finished eighth and Sebastian Vettel - the only other driver capable of winning the crown - finished in fourth position."It's really amazing," said Button. "That was just such an awesome race - I deserve the title after that race! 21 years ago I jumped in a car and I loved winning. I never expected to be world champion in Formula One but I've done it today."Team boss Ross Brawn, who also watched the outfit secure the constructors' title in its first season, said: "Jenson's a fantastic racer and he knew what he had to do today. He deserves everything he's got."Webber, who had been running second in the early stages, took the lead after his first stop and did not relinquish it as the Red Bull proved the quickest car around Interlagos. Barrichello's grip on the race was loosened when he lost places after his first stop, crucially to BMW's Robert Kubica, who finished second. The Brazilian, who had started from pole position, lost third place with ten laps to go as a storming Lewis Hamilton - who started from 18th place after a disaster in the rain-hit qualifying session - benefitted from an early safety car period. Barrichello then suffered further disappointment with a puncture in the dying laps, being forced to pit and rejoin in eighth.Button had also benefitted from the safety car to make up places early on, showing his determination with a great move to pass Renault's Romain Grosjean after which he also picked off Williams' Kazuki Nakajima. Button pitted for the first time on lap 29, a clean stop bringing him out in tenth with two cars ahead still to pit. A fantastic move on Sebastien Buemi a few laps later, outbraking him into turn one, brought Button seventh place. Barrichello, lying fourth, had all the work to do but his race unravelled and he was unable to keep his title hopes alive.Vettel had done his best to stay in the hunt by taking a very long first stint and would be satisfied with his fourth place, even though Button's finishing position meant the title was out of his grasp. Given Barrichello's bad luck, it meant the Red Bull driver overtook him for second in the standings with a race to go.The opening laps of the grand prix were filled with incident as first an off-track fight almost erupted between Jarno Trulli and Adrian Sutil. Replays appeared to show Force India's Sutil forcing Trulli wide onto the grass, causing the Toyota to lose control and slide off into the barriers, tagging Sutil along the way. Sutil also ended up in the gravel trap and had to face a fuming Trulli in a discussion that almost became physical.A lap later Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen was caught in a flash fire in the pit lane. The Finn had pitted to receive a new nose cone after tagging the back of Red Bull's Mark Webber. Ahead of him, earlier spinner Heikki Kovalainen was leaving the pits but with the fuel hose still attached to his McLaren. Fuel sprayed over the hot Ferrari, which was briefly engulfed in flames, although Raikkonen was unhurt and carried on.Final points standings:Jenson Button, 89Sebastian Vettel, 74Rubens Barrichello, 72Formula OneMotor sportJenson ButtonBrawnGemma Briggsguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Jenson Button suffers qualifying blow

• Button to start from a season-low 14th, Lewis Hamilton 12th• Fisichella gives Force India their first Formula One poleJenson Button's Formula One world title hopes suffered a crushing blow in a bizarre qualifying session for tomorrow's Belgian grand prix. For the first time this year the championship leader failed to make it into the top-10 shootout, with the 29-year-old down in a season-low 14th.In a remarkable hour at the Spa circuit, Giancarlo Fisichella - the man being touted to replace the hapless Luca Badoer at Ferrari - gave Force India their first F1 pole, although it remains to be seen how much fuel is in the car. It is the veteran Italian's fourth pole of his career, and his first since Malaysia in 2006, with Toyota's Jarno Trulli second, BMW Sauber's Nick Heidfeld third and Button's Brawn GP team-mate Rubens Barrichello fourth.Fisichella, whose previous best grid slot this year was 13th, was unable to explain his performance. "Pole position is amazing, fantastic," remarked the 36-year-old. "I'm so happy and thanks to the team who have done a great job. It's a remarkable result. I've shown what I can do. This is one of my favourite circuits, but I didn't expect to be on pole, in particular considering the budget of our team."Button offered a simple explanation for his poor display, conceding he "wasn't fast enough." He added: "It is pretty disastrous for tomorrow really. It's going to make it very difficult. I didn't have any pace on the soft tyres and every time I hit the brakes, the rear would move. I did not have any confidence in the rear end. It's strange to be four or five tenths [of a second] off Rubens. Our cars are different, but they are not that different."The 15-minute middle session was not just a disaster for Button, but also for Lewis Hamilton. The reigning world champion was unable to build on his victory in Hungary and pole at the European grand prix last weekend, qualifying down in 12th. His McLaren struggled in the twisty middle section of the track, whilst his team-mate Heikki Kovalainen fared worse and will start 15th, his second worst qualifying display this season. Renault's Fernando Alonso was another casualty in Q2 and was only 13th fastest.Luca Badoer, meanwhile, could be out of a job following tomorrow's race in the wake of another poor performance. The 38-year-old replacement for the recuperating Felipe Massa will again start at the back of the grid, as he did last weekend on his Ferrari debut in Valencia. Badoer ended the opening 20-minute Q1 by breaking the rear suspension of his car in careering backwards into a tyre wall after passing Sebastian Vettel on the approach to Les Combes. Renault's Romain Grosjean also struggled on his second outing, coming only one place better than Badoer in 19th.Leading grid positions after qualifying1 Giancarlo Fisichella (Ita) Force India 1min 46.308secs, 2 Jarno Trulli (Ita) Toyota 1:46.395, 3 Nick Heidfeld (Ger) BMW Sauber 1:46.500, 4 Rubens Barrichello (Bra) Brawn GP 1:46.513, 5 Robert Kubica (Pol) BMW Sauber 1:46.586, 6 Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) Ferrari 1:46.633, 7 Timo Glock (Ger) Toyota 1:46.677, 8 Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Red Bull 1:46.761, 9 Mark Webber (Aus) Red Bull 1:46.788, 10 Nico Rosberg (Ger) Williams 1:47.362, 11 Adrian Sutil (Ger) Force India 1:45.119, 12 Lewis Hamilton (Gbr) McLaren 1:45.122, 13 Fernando Alonso (Spa) Renault 1:45.136, 14 Jenson Button (Gbr) Brawn GP 1:45.251, 15 Heikki Kovalainen (Fin) McLaren 1:45.259, 16 Sebastien Buemi (Swi) Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:45.951, 17 Jaime Alguersuari (Spa) Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:46.032, 18 Kazuki Nakajima (Jpn) Williams 1:46.307, 19 Romain Grosjean (Fra) Renault 1:46.359, 20 Luca Badoer (Ita) Ferrari 1:46.957Formula OneMotor sportJenson ButtonBrawnForce Indiaguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Barrichello beats Button in Italy

• Brazilian takes two points out of Button's title advantage• Hamilton spins out of third place on final lap at MonzaRubens Barrichello gave his championship hopes a modest boost by winning the Italian grand prix at Monza this afternoon while his main rival and Brawn team-mate Jenson Button finished in second place.The Brawn team's decision to put both its drivers on a one-stop strategy paid off as behind them Kimi Raikkonen claimed the final podium position for Ferrari. Third place would have belonged to the polesitter, Lewis Hamilton, but he span his McLaren and crashed on the final lap while chasing Button.As one of only three drivers on a two-stop strategy, the lighter McLaren of Hamilton dominated the early stages of the race as he made a perfect start to maintain his lead. Behind him the front-row starter Adrian Sutil was passed by the third-place starter Kimi Raikkonen – both also one-stopping – and Hamilton steadily built a strong advantage before having to make the first of his two scheduled pit stops. A clean refuel and change to harder tyres on lap 15 let him rejoin in fifth position, behind Button. Raikkonen had stayed out on track for four more laps than Hamilton before pitting, but it was not enough to jump the McLaren.After the lead trio pitted, Barrichello led from Button and the title rivals pushed each other on at such a pace that it already threatened Hamilton's chance of winning the race. Button was the first Brawn to pit, just before the halfway point of the race, with Barrichello following him a lap later and comfortably retaking his position ahead of his British team-mate.The outcome rested on Hamilton's second stop, which McLaren opted to take surprising early on lap 34. Despite a smooth visit to the pits, Hamilton rejoined behind the pair of Brawns and began to chase down second-placed Button in the closing stages until putting a wheel on the kerb at the Lesmo and spinning. Ahead of them Barrichello maintained his lead to take the flag for his second victory of the year and carve two points out of Button's championship lead with four races remaining. The one-two finish also strengthens Brawn's advantage in the constructors' battle."It just feels really good," said Barrichello. "It was a great decision yesterday [to opt for a two-stop strategy] as the guys with Kers [Hamilton and Raikkonen] have 20 metres on us at the start so we had to bear that in mind. Luckily I had a good start and the pace was good enough to be in the front of them by the last pit stops."His title rival Button said: "Rubens did a better job [than me]. But second is good, and I gained seven points on [Sebastian] Vettel. He [Barrichello] is my closest rival. We've got a good relationship but we are competitive."Behind them Force India's Sutil finished in fourth place after a great battle with Raikkonen, the pair having suffered difficult second stops, Sutil when his car knocked down a pit crew member and Raikkonen when he appeared to stall his Ferrari. Putting Renault's race-fix scandal to one side, Fernando Alonso finished in fifth place ahead of McLaren's Heikki Kovalainen and BMW Sauber's Nick Heidfeld. Red Bull's Vettel picked up one point with eighth place thanks to Hamilton's error as he suffered another difficult race in his bid to win the world title; he is now 27 points behind Button.Red Bull's other championship contender, Mark Webber, made it no further than the first lap, having been pushed off the track and into retirement by BMW Sauber's Robert Kubica, the Pole later retiring himself. Vitantonio Liuzzi's racing return with Force India was scuppered by a gearbox problem on lap 23, while Giancarlo Fisichella finished just outside the points in ninth place in his race debut for Ferrari.Italian grand prix results:1 Rubens Barrichello, Brawn-Mercedes2 Jenson Button, Brawn-Mercedes3 Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari4 Adrian Sutil, Force India-Mercedes5 Fernando Alonso, Renault6 Heikki Kovalainen, McLaren-Mercedes7 Nick Heidfeld, BMW Sauber8 Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull-Renault9 Giancarlo Fisichella, Ferrari10 Kazuki Nakajima, Williams-Toyota11 Timo Glock, Toyota12 Lewis Hamilton, McLaren-Mercedes13 Sébastien Buemi, Toro Rosso-Ferrari14 Jarno Trulli, Toyota15 Romain Grosjean, Renault16 Nico Rosberg, Williams-ToyotaNot classified:Vitantonio Liuzzi, Force India-MercedesJaime Alguersuari, Toro Rosso-FerrariRobert Kubica, BMW SauberMark Webber, Red Bull-RenaultBrawnJenson ButtonLewis HamiltonFormula OneMotor sportGemma Briggsguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Vettel closes gap on Button in Japan

• Vettel wins from pole with Lewis Hamilton third• Button finishes eighth but stays 14 points clearJenson Button's slow march towards the world title took another step closer to completion in Japan, despite Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel winning from pole. Button, finishing down in eighth, saw his lead cut by a point, but remains 14 clear with just two races to go.Vettel kept alive his outside chance of winning the drivers' championship, moving to within 16 points of Button. The German crossed the line ahead of Jarno Trulli's Toyota with Lewis Hamilton in third for McLaren.Vettel's third win of the season helped to close the gap at the top, but Button's Brawn team-mate, Rubens Barrichello, remains the Briton's closest challenger having crossed the line a place ahead in seventh.Brawn could have wrapped up the constructors' title, but were denied after the safety car was brought on to the track with five laps to go. Button, however, was unhappy with Williams' Nico Rosberg, for allegedly setting his fastest sector time while drivers were under restrictions – an issue the race stewards were looking in to.As things stand, Brawn will need just half a point more to claim the crown when the teams move on to Brazil in two weeks' time, while Button could secure his first world title merely by keeping pace with Barrichello and Vettel.Race standings1 Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Red Bull 01:28:20.443; 2 Jarno Trulli (Ita) Toyota 01:28:25.243; 3 Lewis Hamilton (Gbr) McLaren 01:28:26.843; 4 Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) Ferrari 01:28:28.343; 5 Nico Rosberg (Ger) Williams 01:28:29.143; 6 Nick Heidfeld (Ger) BMW Sauber 01:28:29.943; 7 Rubens Barrichello (Bra) Brawn GP 01:28:31.043; 8 Jenson Button (Gbr) Brawn GP 01:28:31.843; 9 Robert Kubica (Pol) BMW Sauber 01:28:32.143; 10 Fernando Alonso (Spa) Renault 01:28:33.443; 11 Heikki Kovalainen (Fin) McLaren 01:28:34.143; 12 Giancarlo Fisichella (Ita) Ferrari 01:28:34.943; 13 Adrian Sutil (Ger) Force India 01:28:35.343; 14 Vitantonio Liuzzi (Ita) Force India 01:28:36.143; 15 Kazuki Nakajima (Jpn) Williams 01:28:38.343Not Classified: 16 Romain Grosjean (Fra) Renault +1 lap; 17 Mark Webber (Aus) Red Bull +2 laps; 18 Jaime Alguersuari (Spa) Scuderia Toro Rosso +10 laps; 19 Sebastien Buemi (Swi) Scuderia Toro Rosso +42 lapsDNS: 20 Timo Glock (Ger) ToyotaWorld championship standings1 Jenson Button (Gbr) Brawn GP 85.0pts; 2 Rubens Barrichello (Bra) Brawn GP 71.0; 3 Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Red Bull 69.0; 4 Mark Webber (Aus) Red Bull 51.5; 5 Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) Ferrari 45.0; 6 Lewis Hamilton (Gbr) McLaren 43.0; 7 Nico Rosberg (Ger) Williams 34.5; 8 Jarno Trulli (Ita) Toyota 30.5; 9 Fernando Alonso (Spa) Renault 26.0; 10 Timo Glock (Ger) Toyota 24.0; 11 Felipe Massa (Bra) Ferrari 22.0; 12 Heikki Kovalainen (Fin) McLaren 22.0; 13 Nick Heidfeld (Ger) BMW Sauber 15.0; 14 Robert Kubica (Pol) BMW Sauber 9.0; 15 Giancarlo Fisichella (Ita) Ferrari 8.0; 16 Adrian Sutil (Ger) Force India 5.0; 17 Sebastien Buemi (Swi) Scuderia Toro Rosso 3.0; 18 Sebastien Bourdais (Fra) Scuderia Toro Rosso 2.0; six drivers on zero pointsFormula OneSebastian VettelJenson ButtonRed BullBrawnMotor sportguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Hamilton storms to pole for Italy GP

• McLaren's Hamilton on front row with Adrian Sutil• Button and Brawn team return to formPolitics ought to be put on hold for at least 90 minutes this afternoon as the Italian Grand Prix returns the emphasis to the 2009 championship rather than who might have affected the outcome of last year's race in Singapore. Crashing deliberately is unlikely to be a strategic part of 53 laps spent racing on the fastest track in Formula One, although even the best intentions could fall foul of the first chicane as 20 closely bunched cars attempt to negotiate the notorious bottleneck at 50mph.Lewis Hamilton is in the best position to avoid a repeat of his elimination on the first lap of the previous race in Belgium. Apart from starting from pole for only the second time this season, Hamilton will have additional help from his McLaren's Kers energy retention system on the 600-metre charge to the chicane. Kimi Raikkonen will be making similar use of the 6.6-second power boost as the Ferrari starts from third and tries to overhaul the Force India of Adrian Sutil, who is on second. Hamilton and Sutil, good mates and former adversaries in Formula Three, are unlikely to have their friendship tested if, as expected, Hamilton leaves the field standing."I'm really happy to see Adrian here," Hamilton said. "It's a long time since we've sat together in a press conference – at least four years. Qualifying was very close and it's such a great feeling to be able to put together a good lap. When you have a single shot right at the end of qualifying and it comes off, it's so exhilarating. I really didn't anticipate being on pole."Sutil had the same feeling even though Giancarlo Fisichella signalled the dawn of a dramatic improvement for Force India by taking pole two weeks ago at Spa. Sutil's previous best qualifying had been seventh for his home grand prix, otherwise the German had been more familiar with the back of the grid.Although using a Mercedes engine similar to Hamilton's McLaren, the Force India does not have Kers, a serious disadvantage at the start at Monza."The car is amazing, really quick, unbelievable," Sutil said. "It's such a different feeling in a car that gives you a chance. The good feeling of being a racing driver is back and being here with Lewis adds to that. After two years consistently at the back, you forget the feeling of fighting for pole and racing to win. You get the passion back and drive much easier with a smile on your face when at the front. But I must admit it's not the best feeling to have Kers cars around me at the start. We saw what happened in Belgium when my team‑mate lost the race."Sutil was referring to Fisichella being overhauled by Raikkonen's use of Kers at Spa, the only circuit similar to Monza in terms of requiring the cars to run minimum downforce, a set-up that suits the Force India and, to a lesser degree, the Brawn.Fifth and sixth fastest times for Rubens Barrichello and Jenson Button was an indication of the extra fuel carried by the Brawns and disguised a timely return to form for the British team as the championship enters the final five races."I'm really happy with sixth position," Button said. "Rubens and I have been so close on lap times all weekend and he's ended up just fifteen-hundredths ahead of me, which is the difference between getting your head down on the straights [to reduce aerodynamic drag at 205 mph]. I obviously didn't do it enough!"We got the best out of the car today and it felt good on the heavy fuel load, which is important because it's not just about qualifying, you have to consider your race. It's been a positive day and I'm confident that we can have a good race."It has been a while since Button exuded such confidence at the end of qualifying, the leader of the championship poised to make the most of a one-stop strategy while the front three drivers stop twice. A pit stop at Monza can cost up to 28 seconds from leaving the track to rejoining."Rubens and Jenson drove extremely well with our chosen one-stop strategy to secure fifth and sixth positions," Ross Brawn said. "The closeness of their lap times shows that they achieved everything possible from the car. We have the majority of the Kers cars just ahead of us so, provided our drivers get a good start, there is everything to play for in the race."Button will also have been heartened by Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber struggling to match the pace of their championship rivals. The Red Bull pair have been restricted in mileage by Renault engine failures, which have eaten into the allocation of eight engines per driver for the season. The use of a ninth engine will bring a 10-place grid penalty."We'll see how the strategy pans out," Webber said. "We've got to try and grab everything we can now. I'm pretty happy with the job I did today but we're just lacking a bit of pace. We'll do what we can and salvage something from 10th – it's certainly possible."Depending which forecast you read, today's race could be similar to last year's and run in the rain. Vettel was unbeatable after starting from pole. Given Hamilton's record in wet conditions, the world champion is in the perfect position to win before the sport returns to less attractive business away from the race track.Lewis HamiltonFormula OneMotor sportMaurice Hamiltonguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds