Monte Carlo, Monaco (My Sportsbook) - Brawn GP's Jenson Button beat Kimi Raikkonen from Ferrari by 0.025 seconds to win qualifying for Sunday's prestigious Monaco Grand Prix and claim his fourth pole position this season.

Button, the current Formula One world championship leader, charged to the front with a quick lap of one minute, 14.902 seconds around the 2.075-mile, 18-turn Circuit de Monaco.

"Qualifying was manic as it always is in Monaco I suppose, but it's great to come away with a pole," Button said. "I was always right on the edge on that lap."

Button has won four of the first five grand prix races this year. He will attempt to become the first Briton to win the Monaco GP from the pole since Jackie Stewart did it in 1963.

Lewis Hamilton, the defending Monaco race winner, crashed halfway through the first qualifying session (Q1). Hamilton lost control of his McLaren car and back it into the barrier heading into the fifth corner. The reigning world champion sustained rear suspension damage. His stricken car was towed away as qualifying came to brief halt.

Hamilton will begin 16th from the grid.

Raikkonen, the 2005 Monaco GP winner, will start alongside Button on the outside pole.

"Since the first practice, the car has been getting better and better," Raikkonen said. "It was a good result for us, especially at this kind of place."

Button's teammate, Rubens Barrichello, who is celebrating his 37th birthday Saturday, was third quickest, followed by Sebastian Vettel from Red Bull and Ferrari's Felipe Massa.

"I thought I had the upper hand on Jenson today," Barrichello said. "That's why I congratulate him. He must have had a fantastic lap, because my lap was very good, and I am happy with it."

Nico Rosberg from Williams, McLaren's Heikki Kovalainen, Mark Webber from Red Bull, Renault's Fernando Alonso, a two-time Monaco GP winner, and Kazuki Nakajima, also from Williams, were sixth through 10th, respectively.

Nick Heidfeld qualified 17th, and Robert Kubica was 18th, marking the first time BMW Sauber had both of their drivers knocked out of Q1.

Toyota drivers Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock were also eliminated in Q1, with Trulli starting 19th and Glock rolling off last in the 20-car field.

Sunday's race is scheduled to begin at 8:00 a.m. (et).