There was encouraging feedback from both drivers following Friday practice that either way the team can challenge rivals Red Bull and Ferrari for pole.

BBC: Jenson Button 'needs' podium finish at Italian GP

Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel took pole ahead of Hamilton and Alonso, whose closest championship rival, Vettel's team-mate Mark Webber, was fifth.

BBC: Fernando Alonso hopes Lewis Hamilton wins Abu Dhabi GP

Button's McLaren started fourth on the grid, as Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel set the pace in qualifying to claim pole position.

CNN: Champion Button claims Australian win

With team-mate Felipe Massa qualifying third, half a second behind Alonso and pole-sitter Sebastian Vettel, and ahead of the German's Red Bull team-mate Mark Webber, it was Ferrari's best qualifying result of the season so far.

BBC: Confident Alonso surprised by Ferrari pace

Pole sitter and three-time reigning world champion Vettel was third in a Red Bull.

NPR: Lotus' Raikkonen Wins F1's Australian GP

Just 0.087 seconds separated the top four as the Pole headed McLaren's Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari's Fernando Alonso and Red Bull's Mark Webber.

BBC: Robert Kubica fastest in final practice in Korea

Alonso took the lead for good with 13 laps to go and won by 10 seconds from Lotus' Kimi Raikkonen, with pole sitter Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes finishing third, just two-tenths of a second ahead of Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel.

WSJ: Ferrari's Alonso Wins Grand Prix