Button suffers qualifying blow

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For the first time this year Brawn GP's championship leader failed to make it into the top-10 shootout, with the 29-year-old down in a miserable season-low 14th.

In a remarkable hour at the Spa circuit, Giancarlo Fisichella - the man being touted to replace the hapless Luca Badoer at Ferrari - gave Force India their first F1 pole, although it remains to be seen how much fuel is in the car.

It is the veteran Italian's fourth pole of his career, and his first since Malaysia in 2006, with Toyota's Jarno Trulli second and the BMW Sauber of Nick Heidfeld in third.

Force India are now on course to score their first point as they have yet to break their duck in 29 races since entering the sport.

Rubens Barrichello is fourth for Brawn GP, followed by the second BMW Sauber of Robert Kubica in a return to form for the team that will be out of business at the end of the year.

Behind the Pole comes Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen, Timo Glock in his Toyota, and then the Red Bull duo of Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber in eighth and ninth, with Williams' Nico Rosberg 10th.

The 15-minute middle session was not just a disaster for Button, but also for the McLaren duo of reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen.

After victory in Hungary and starting on pole last weekend for the European Grand Prix in Valencia, it was a return to McLaren's poor form from earlier in the year.

Hamilton starts 12th, with his car struggling in the twisty middle section of the track, whilst Kovalainen is 15th, his second worst qualifying display this season.