Sao Paulo: Brazilian Rubens Barrichello seized pole position on Saturday for his home grand prix in a nightmare scenario for championship-leading Brawn team mate Jenson Button.
Britain's Button, 14 points clear of the Sao Paulo driver with just two races remaining, qualified only 14th in a marathon rain-delayed qualifying session that ranked as one of Formula One's longest.
The third man in the title battle, Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel, is 16 points behind Button and will start in 16th place after being caught out by the weather.
Barrichello timed his first pole of the season, and first since the 2004 Brazilian Grand Prix, to perfection and is now well-placed to take the title battle down to the wire in Abu Dhabi.
The passionate local crowd, who had waited patiently through a rain delay of more than an hour and a half at the bowl-like Interlagos circuit, stood and roared in delight with cheers of 'Rubinho, Rubinho'.
Australian Mark Webber will share the front row with Barrichello in his Red Bull, who must finish one-two on Sunday to have any hope of preventing Brawn from winning the constructors' title.
