Button on Monaco GP pole

By Alan Baldwin

MONACO (Reuters) - Formula One championship leader Jenson Button put himself on pole position for a fifth win in six races after a manic Monaco Grand Prix qualifying session on Saturday.

Kimi Raikkonen, the 2007 world champion whose Ferrari team are threatening to walk away at the end of the season in a standoff over the 2010 rules, joined the Briton on the front row with the Italian team returning to form after a dismal start to the year.

Button's Brazilian Brawn GP team mate Rubens Barrichello qualified third on his 37th birthday with Red Bull's German Sebastian Vettel alongside.

"Today was a really tough fight," said Button of a seventh career pole position, and fourth in six races, secured with a flying lap of 1:14.902 right at the end of qualifying seconds after Raikkonen's 1:14.927.

"It was manic, as it always is in Monaco, It's good to have come away with the pole, I was right on the edge," added the Monaco resident, favourite for a home victory on a street circuit notoriously difficult for overtaking.

The published weights showed Button's car had about two laps more fuel on board than Raikkonen, weighing in at 647.5kg compared to the Finn's s 644.0. Vettel had the lightest car on the grid at 631.5.

"I think Jenson is getting into the habit of saving the best for last," team boss Ross Brawn told BBC television. "He knew that was the lap where he had to produce and he's just driving exceptionally well at the moment."

HAMILTON NIGHTMARE