Silverstone, Britain  - Sebastian Vettel claimed his third pole position of the season on Saturday at the British Formula One Grand Prix as local hero Jenson Button had to settle for a season worst sixth place.

The German Vettel clocked 1 minute 19.509 seconds in a Red Bull on the 5.141-kilometres course as he topped the grid from Brawn GP driver Rubens Barrichello and Mark Webber in the second Red Bull.

The championship leader Button managed no better than sixth and fellow-Briton Lewis Hamilton, the 2008 world champion and Silverstone race winner, will have to start in the final row from 19th place in a McLaren-Mercedes.

Button has won six of the seven season races for a commanding lead on 61 points. Team-mate Rubens Barrichello has 35 and Vettel 29 points. Vettel won the other race, in China.

German Force India driver Adrian Sutil crashed heavily into a tyre wall in the Becketts turn at the end of the first session. He walked away from the wreck on his own but then underwent medical checks. The cause of the accident was not immediately known.(dpa)