Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button were smiling at sunny Monza on Saturday afternoon, after locking out the front of the grid for the Italian grand prix.<\/p>\n
It was Alonso’s first ever pole in a red car, and Ferrari’s first qualifying triumph in 30 races.<\/p>\n
The result is also Button’s first front row of the season, as Lewis Hamilton in the sister McLaren was left ruing a setup “mistake”.<\/p>\n
He was running without McLaren’s famous F-duct, while Button stayed with the concept despite having to use an unconventionally big rear wing for the ultra high speed circuit.<\/p>\n
Ultimately, the reigning world champion was just a tenth off Alonso’s pole, stranding Hamilton six tenths behind in fifth.<\/p>\n
“It was the wrong choice,” the 2008 world champion admitted to BBC television.\u00a0 Button agreed: “Our side made the right decision.”<\/p>\n
Championship leader Hamilton’s biggest title rival Mark Webber was also smiling, despite qualifying just fourth.<\/p>\n
He qualified two places ahead of Red Bull teammate Sebastian Vettel, after two practice breakdowns, including an airbox fire on Saturday morning that stopped his engine.<\/p>\n
“We might have to run a slightly more conservative setting on that engine,” admitted team boss Christian Horner.\u00a0 “It’s nothing for us to be too concerned about.”<\/p>\n
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