Button snatches pole in Australia

The 26-year-old Englishman, still seeking his first Formula One victory after 103 races, recorded a best time of 1:25.229 to finish narrowly ahead of Italian Giancarlo Fisichella in a Renault.

Fisichella clocked 1:25.635 in the third mini-session of the qualifying hour.

Defending world champion Fernando Alonso was third fastest in the second Renault, ahead of Finn Kimi Raikkonen in a McLaren-Mercedes and his Colombian teammate Juan Pablo Montoya.

On a day of rapidly-changing conditions and much incident, both Ferraris driven by seven-times champion German Michael Schumacher and his new teammate Brazilian Felipe Massa failed to progress beyond the 'cut'.

They are expected to start 10th and 15th respectively.

Earlier, in two red flag-interrupted sessions, the two Ferrari drivers were among the casualties who failed to reach the final 10 in qualifying along with Rubens Barrichello, in a Honda, Nico Rosberg, in his Williams Cosworth, and David Coulthard, in his Red Bull Ferrari.

Rain also played a part in the second mini-session, falling just as Michael Schumacher made an attempt to clock a lap that would lift him into the final ten.

The rainfall instead persuaded him to abort any risk-taking and return to the Ferrari garage. Massa, who crashed heavily earlier in that min-session, had to trudge back to the pits after tearing a rear wheel off his Ferrari when he slid off the track at turn 11, the Waite curve.

It was Massa's crash that caused the red flag in the second session after Yuji Ide in his Aguri Honda had spun and stalled after the off track excursions in his opening foray at the start of the afternoon's qualifying hour.

Both red flag breaks were brief, but they were enough on a rain-hit and windy day of wild changes in weather conditions to enliven the proceedings, ensuring that a big crowd had plenty to savour.

In the final minutes of the opening session, Barrichello made a bid to qualify higher up the grid, but on his best lap he was baulked by Ide.

Qualifying results do not include penalties for engine changes.
The final grid will not be decided before Sunday morning.