Lewis Hamilton Crashes As Jenson Button Takes Pole at Monaco Gp

All it takes to drown the ugly sound of Formula One's political squabbling is the howl of racing engines echoing off the hills and apartment blocks surrounding the Monaco harbor, and the sight of the world's best drivers competing to find the quickest way around a couple of miles of narrow streets bounded by shops, restaurants, hotels and ocean-going yachts. At the end of yesterday's hectic qualifying session for the Monaco Grand Prix, Jenson Button emerged to take his fourth pole position of the season with a last-minute lap that emphasized the quality of the new-found partnership between the 29-year-old ­Englishman and his Brawn car.

Less than 24 hours earlier, the F1 team bosses had been locked in a three-hour meeting with Max Mosley and Bernie Ecclestone, trying to find a way to resolve the differences that led Ferrari to threaten a unilateral withdrawal.

The reluctance of those involved to divulge the content of the discussions seemed to indicate progress towards an agreement over ways in which the teams can cut their vast budgets. Instead of the forcible imposition of Mosley's £40m budget cap from next year, there is likely to be a more gradual "glide path" towards a reduction in expenditure.

But then came an electrifying qualifying hour in which all the speculation over Mosley's motives and Ferrari's tactics was set aside. It began with the latest disaster for the reigning world champion, Lewis Hamilton, who damaged his car in the first session and was unable to continue. When McLaren elected to change his gearbox, he was condemned to starting the race from the back row of the grid.

For Button, by contrast, the day ended with an increasingly familiar smile of satisfaction. Although he considers the British Grand Prix to be his home event, he lives in Monaco and may never have a better opportunity to win the principality's famous race. Victory today would give the current world championship leader his third win in a row and his fifth of the season.

Maurice Hamilton, page 4