Button Pips Raikkonen In Qualifying Thriller At Monaco Grand Prix Posted by: MSulka on May 23, 2009 - 10:03 AM

Button Pips Raikkonen In Qualifying Thriller At Monaco Grand PrixBy Mike Sulka Jenson Button took a thrilling Pole position at the 2009 Monaco Grand Prix in Formula One qualifying! Courtesy of Brawn GP It was a bright and sunny qualifying for the 2009 Formula One Monaco Grand Prix. Jenson Button won his fourth Pole of the season - seventh of his F1 career- in just six races with a thrilling last lap gasp in which he eclipsed the Ferrari of Kimi Raikkonen by .025 with no time left on the clock in Q3 – the final qualifying session. It is also Button’s first career Pole at Monte Carlo. "This pole position means a lot today and I am fantastically happy," said the Briton from Pole while still keeping one eye clearly on his teammate. "All through the weekend I’ve been fighting with Rubens (Barrichello), Rubens has definitely had the upper hand. It’s also been a fun weekend, the McLarens have been up there, the Ferrari have been up there, the Williams, and even Red Bull. Qualifying was no different."

"We really didn’t know where we were on Thursday, but we kept improving a little bit, a little bit, a little bit. If this were last year’s car, I would have massively struggled because that car didn’t listen, but this car does listen to changes. It’s great to be Pole at a historic circuit like this!"

It was the first front row start of the season for Kimi Raikkonen and his F60 Ferrari. The Finn put in a valiant run and appeared to have the Pole right up until the very second that Button snatched it away.

"The car hasn’t been too bad here," said Raikkonen in his understated way. "Since the first practice the car has been getting better and better. I didn’t get a very good lap in Q2. In Q3 I had one more lap, and I went off in the first corner…. It might not have made any difference, even so it was a good result for us. It’s nice to be back at the front!"

For birthday boy Rubens Barrichello, he looked to have the upper hand all weekend over his championship point leading teammate, and it seemed to continue as the Brazilian held a two tenth advantage during the Q2 session over Button.

But then the fuel loads went in, and strategy may have accounted for the change.

"Qualifying went very well. I had a good pace every day, and honestly I thought I had the upper hand on Jenson all weekend," said Barrichello. "He must have had a fantastic lap, because my lap was REALLY good and there wasn’t anything more I could have done. I hope to do two better tomorrow."

When the teams reveal the fuel loads this afternoon, it will soon become clear whether one of the Brawn GP teammates was given a possible qualifying boost, or if they were both on the same strategy.

Over the last 10 years, the winner of the Monaco Grand Prix has come from the front row seven times. And not since 1996, when just three cars finished has a driver won from outside the top three. Olivier Panis won from 14th that year.

Before the streak can continue… the top three starters for tomorrow’s edition of the Monaco Grand Prix will have to make it through a very tight and treacherous Turn One, and keep their cars from any penalties due to moving too far over the chicane curbing. Eight drivers in the GP2 race were handed post-race penalties for the same offense…

But we all know Formula One would stay far away from such a controversial outcome…

Wouldn’t they ?

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