German world champion Sebastian Vettel secured his fifth pole position of the season on Saturday in Monaco in a qualifying session that was interrupted late on.

Vettel lapped the twisty street circuit almost half a second faster than McLaren's Jenson Button, who claimed second place. Mark Webber, Vettel's team mate at Red Bull, will start the Monaco Grand Prix third, ahead of Ferrari's Fernando Alonso and Michael Schuamcher of Mercedes GP.

Vettel's closest title challenger Lewis Hamilton starts seventh on the grid.

Sauber F1 Team driver Sergio Perez collided heavily with the barriers late in the final ten-car phase of qualifying for the Monaco Grand Prix

The crash took place at the exit of out of the tunnel near a heavy braking zone. Perez's car spurred left into the wall at high speed, and then slid along the track before hitting a different wall head on.

Perez crashes at tunnel exit

Medical rescue staff were immediately rushed to the scene, and the session was stopped. The right-hand sidepod of Perez's Sauber had taken heavy damage, but the protective safety cell appeared undamaged. The safety officials, marshalls and doctors at Monaco, who have a reputation as the most professional in the world, swiftly helped the driver into an ambulance.

Sauber's CEO Monica Kaltenborn said that Perez was conscious and talking to her and medical staff minutes after the crash.

The accident followed shortly after German driver Nico Rosberg had a similar collision at the same part of the circuit in morning practice, missing the wall Perez slammed into by centimeters. The track was modified after Rosberg's incident, removing speed bumps that had sent the German's car airborne. The entry to the Swimming Pool, or “Piscine,” section of Monaco is known as one of the more dangerous parts of the street-circuit.

Rosberg, who barely started the session in time after necessary repair work on his car, qualified eighth for Mercedes GP. Renault's Nick Heidfeld will start Sunday's race 16th, just behind Adrian Sutil of Force India. Timo Glock qualified 19th, but put in an impressive lap in his Virgin car.

Author: Mark Hallam
Editor: Andreas Illmer