Button Wins Tight Race to Qualify

Jenson Button lost out to Juan Pablo Montoya after the pair dead-heated for third in qualifying for Sunday's Australian Formula One Grand Prix but the Briton won a more important race against time.

Button's hopes of making it out of the garage for the official qualifying session were slim after he had damaged the chassis on his BAR when he hit a kerb during the morning practice session.

Had Button missed the qualifying session he would have been forced to start the race from the back of the grid so BAR team officials instantly switched their driver to the spare car.

In previous years that would not have been a major problem but under the sport's new rules, which stipulate that teams have to use the same engine all weekend, BAR's mechanics suddenly had to put the engine from Button's race car into the spare at an hour's notice.

"The team did a very good job," Button said. "It was a race against time for us to be ready in time to start qualifying."

BAR boss David Richards said his mechanics had pulled off a near miracle getting the engine into the spare car in such quick time.

"The faultless way the team dealt with it shows how far we have come and is further proof that we have the ability to challenge the established order," Richards said.

With no time to waste, Button strapped himself into his new car in the nick of time then reeled off a sizzling lap of 1:24.998, bettered only by the two Ferraris of Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello.

Incredibly, Montoya posted an identical time to Button and was given third place on the grid because he had been slightly faster than the Briton in the first round of qualifying, which determined the running order.

Still, Button said he was thrilled to be starting from fourth spot after his frantic start to the day.

"It's a little bit disappointing to miss out on third after I matched Montoya's time but I really enjoyed that," he said. "It's always difficult to achieve the perfect lap but I'm very happy."