Vettel edges Button to snatch pole for Japanese GP

By Christian Hollmann Oct 8, 2011, 12:01 GMT

Suzuka, Japan - Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel squeezed out McLaren's Jenson Button to grab pole position in qualifying Saturday for Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix.

The 24-year-old German cemented his domination of the season with his 12th pole in 15 races to put him in a perfect position to clinch his second straight world title.

Vettel needs a point or for Button to fail to win on Sunday to seal the Formula One title.

Vettel stormed on his final lap at Suzuka to clock one minute 30.466 seconds, edging Button by nine thousandths of a seconds to continue Red Bull's series of pole starts in all the season's races.

Button's team-mate Lewis Hamilton was third after he just missed out on starting a flying lap.

Ferrari drivers Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso were fourth and fifth, and Red Bull's Mark Webber sixth.

Michael Schumacher in a Mercedes, Renault pair Bruno Senna and Vitaly Petrov, and home favourite Kamui Kobayashi in a Sauber filled the remaining top 10 places.

Schumacher was later demoted one place to eighth, while Kobayashi was moved up to seventh.

Neither the German nor the Japanese set a time in the third qualifying, but stewards said Kobayashi did start a qualifying lap which he then aborted.

Schumacher's team-mate Nico Rosberg will start from the back row after a hydraulics problem prevented him from timing in the first qualifying round.

Vettel, who had crashed in Friday's first practice, took delivery of a new front wing just 27 minutes before the start of the qualifying.

'We got a new front wing out just in time. It wasn't easy but fortunately we did,' he said.

'We sat down after the practice session this morning and fortunately got everything together and we were able to get every single bit out of the car in qualifying which was crucial.'

Vettel, who is set to become the youngest driver to win a second F1 title, added: 'Regarding one point or no point tomorrow, I'm not focusing on that.

'I had a lesson yesterday where for a little moment I wasn't 100-per-cent focused and lost the car. Tomorrow is a long race and it's challenging. I'm looking forward to it.'

Button, who had been fastest in all three practice sessions, said: 'You're always a bit disappointed when you are that close. But the weekend has gone pretty good so far and we showed up here with a good package.'

Hamilton was fastest going into the final qualifying but was left disappointed after failing to get in a flying lap.

'With Lewis it was tight, we told him not to back up and let so many cars by,' said team principal Martin Whitmarsh.

'Unfortunately he got hustled by at the last corner and in so doing missed out on posting a time in the last lap.'

Hamilton said that despite the mishap he would be starting from the cleaner side of the grid.

'In Q3, my final attempt at a lap was compromised when I entered the final corner on my out-lap and, from out of nowhere, Mark (Webber) shot up the inside of me,' he said.

'Then Michael (Schumacher) came past on my outside and went across the grass. Those incidents delayed me, so I couldn't reach the start line to begin my lap - it was an interesting situation but we were all up against it to get across the line.

'I might be starting third, but I know I'm as quick as the two guys in front of me. It's not been a fantastic weekend for me so far, so hopefully that'll change tomorrow.'

Vettel's 12th pole now puts him ahead of seven-time world champion Schumacher who had 11 poles in the 2001 season.

With four races after Japan remaining, Vettel could still overtake Ayrton Senna's and Alain Prost's 13 pole positions in a season and beat Nigel Mansell's record of 14 set in 1992.

Vettel, who has nine wins this season, could also still beat Schumacher's record of 13 victories in 2004.