Honda’s Jenson Button beats both Renaults to pole position in Melbourne. Second fastest in qualifying this afternoon was Giancarlo Fisichella followed by teammate and reigning world champion Fernando Alonso. Australia’s Mark Webber will start in seventh place after a personal best lap of Albert Park in his Williams. Most of the session had been about the Renaults and McLarens until Button put that stonking lap time in. Montoya looked most likely to take pole position and set the mark for much of the 20-minute final session. But a spin on one hot lap and then a curious drop in the final sector of what would have been Montoya’s quickest tour rendered him fifth overall.
Ferrari’s World Champion Michael Schumacher failed to make the top 10 for the final shootout as rain ruined Michael Schumacher’s flying lap in the final minutes of the second knock-out session. His team-mate Felipe Massa caused the second red flag of the day when he crashed out at Turn 9. The Ferrari driver lost out on the entry to the chicane and skated across the gravel before smaking the wall and ripping off the right rear corner.
Rubens Barrichello has been knocked out of Australian Grand Prix qualifying after the first 15-minute segment. The Brazilian Honda driver, who has once again been struggling with the handling of his car, left his fast lap very late in the session and was then baulked half way through it by Yuji Ide. Check back for more details.