Hamilton takes pole at Monza

Giancarlo Fisichella, at the start of the session, is the first to set off. After making a mistake in the morning, the Italian driver can take part in qualifying, determined to show that he has the level to drive for Ferrari. Kimi Räikkönen erased the Italian's time (1:24:822, 1:24:230, 1:23:610), before the Brawn GP drivers showed the end of their noses. Rubens Barrichello (1) then Jenson Button (23) are at the top of the list. But Lewis Hamilton has not yet made the powder speak.

The Briton sets the times (1:23:384, 1:23:375) while the drivers Red Bull can finally attack, in order to enter the Top 15. Kimi Räikkönen takes the best time (1:23:349), before the last minute of Q1. As in the morning, the Force India drivers (Vitantonio Liuzzi, Adrian Sutil) are among the best. On the contrary, they are the pilots Williams (Kazuki Nakajima, Nico Rosberg) who desert the Top 15 and are eliminated from Q1, just like the drivers Toro Rosso (Sébastien Buemi, Jaime Alguersuari) et Timo Glock (Toyota).

In Q2, the Red Bulls can attack even more, fully exploiting the potential of their engine Renault. Mark Webber takes the lead (1), joined in second place a few seconds later by Sebastian Vettel. Fernando Alonso (Renault) provisionally took the best time (1:23:497) before Jenson Button (Brawn GP) immediately erased it (1:23:427). Then it was his teammate, Rubens Barrichello, who made everyone agree, and achieved the first time under 83 seconds (1:22:976). At the same time, Nick Heidfeld (BMW) must abandon his car in the first chicane of the circuit, before his teammate, Robert Kubica, victim of an engine problem, followed suit. The mission is therefore "easier" for the other drivers, with only thirteen left to compete for the ten qualifying places for Q3.

Romain Grosjean (Renault), on the verge of reaching Q3 for the first time in his career in F1, fails less than two tenths from qualifying. In the cart of those eliminated, he is joined by Jarno Trulli (Toyota) and Giancarlo Fisichella (Ferrari), in addition to the two BMW drivers. At the front, Lewis Hamilton took the best time, before Jenson Button stole the fastest time of the day (1:22:955).

In Q3, the drivers wait until the end of the session before going out and setting a time. Lewis Hamilton quickly moved to the front (1:24:605), with few drivers managing to worry the Briton. The only one to achieve this is the strong man of the free practice sessions, Adrian Sutil (Force India), who finds himself provisionally in pole position, a few seconds from the end of the session, thanks to his time (1:24? ?261). But, in his last lap, Lewis Hamilton managed to regain his position (1:24:066) to take pole position.

For the Red Bull drivers, the penalty is harsh, with 9th and 10th places for Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber, who will have difficulty achieving their objective of regaining points at Brawn GP. The drivers of the team Brackley are in the Top 5 and, once again, Rubens Barrichello (4th) gets the better of Jenson Button (5th), while Kimi Räikkönen is in 3rd position.