Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel showed he still has the stomach for a championship fight by claiming pole position for tomorrow's Japanese Grand Prix.

In an incident-packed session that saw three red flags and two drivers taken to hospital, Vettel held his nerve to post a time of one minute 32.160 seconds and keep his slim title hopes alive.

Jarno Trulli was second in his Toyota and Lewis Hamilton will start an impressive third for McLaren but championship leader Jenson Button could only manage seventh on the grid, while main challenger and Brawn GP team-mate Rubens Barrichello will start fifth.

Vettel trails Button by 25 points with a maximum of 30 left on offer, but the German enhanced his chances of making the title a three-way battle as the season draws to a close after leading all three qualifying sessions.

Button will be cheered by the fact Barrichello is only two places in front of him after edging his team-mate by three tenths.

Button needs to beat the Brazilian by five points to claim his maiden drivers' crown.