Formula One news

Button thrilled with pole position

Jenson Button is delighted with his first Formula 1 pole position since Australia three years ago; the English's fastest lap of 1.26.202 was three tenths quicker than team-mate Rubens Barrichello as the Brawn GP team locked out the front row for their first Grand Prix. Button, of Frome in Somerset, thanked the huge effort from his team following an extremely difficult winter.

"The last five or six months have been so tough," Button said in the post-session press conference. "To come from having no future in F1 racing to putting it on pole here is just amazing - I have to give all credit to the team and to Ross (Brawn, Team Principal) and Nick (Fry, Chief Executive) for making this happen."

A new entrant has not taken pole position on it's debut since Tyrrell in 1971, with Jackie Stewart at the wheel. Pole position had been questionable for Button following the afternoon's final practice session: "The morning pace seem pretty good on both types of tyre compound, but we didn't know what other people's pace was," Jenson continued. "I was struggling a bit on low fuel for some reason, and couldn't get the car working properly, but we put more fuel in it and it felt a bit more normal which is a good thing."

Button takes his first pole for almost three years

Brawn GP, as the ex-Honda outfit, has experienced a tough two years in 2007 and 2008, with just twenty points being scored over the duration of the two seasons; if they go on to tape the top two steps of the podium tomorrow, they will already by just two points short of that total. "It's been a long time since we had a competitive car," Button continued. "There are a few people who stand by you and others who don't, but the important thing is that the people in the team believe in you - that's all we care about."

It is the best possible start for the new team which, if it wins tomorrow, will be the first to do so on its debut since Walter Wolf Racing 32 years ago. "It is a good car," Button added, "but you still need to get the laps in and make it your own; this is a great moment, but obviously not the most important one of the weekend - but it's a good start."

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