Formula One: Vettel grabs Malaysian pole

Reigning world champion shines in rain-hit qualifying.


Afp March 23, 2013
Vettel will be looking to improve on last week’s show in Melbourne after he also started in pole position but finished third. PHOTO: AFP

SEPANG:


Reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel snatched pole position for the Malaysian Grand Prix in the dying seconds of a dramatic qualifying session which was thrown into chaos by rain.


In his final run on a drying track, Vettel stormed across the line in a time of 1min 49.674sec, pipping Ferrari drivers Felipe Massa (1:50.587) and Fernando Alonso (1:50.727) with Mercedes pilot Lewis Hamilton fourth.

Red Bull's Mark Webber and Nico Rosberg of Mercedes will start today’s race from fifth and sixth. Kimi Raikkonen, last week's winner in Australia, timed seventh but was hit with a three-place grid penalty for impeding Rosberg.

McLaren's Jenson Button will occupy the fourth row alongside Force India's Adrian Sutil, with McLaren's new recruit Sergio Perez – second for Sauber in last year's rain-interrupted race – starting ninth and Raikkonen 10th.

"It turned into an interesting qualifying session," said Vettel. "It was quite tricky because some parts of the track were still wet and others were dry, but it was a very good session for us.



"We managed to save some tyres, which could be crucial."

Vettel will hope to improve on last week's showing in Australia, when he also started in pole position but dropped back to finish third behind Raikkonen and Alonso.

"I think if you start in the front you always want to finish there as well. I think it will be a long race.”

Teams will be bracing themselves for more rain on Sunday, after last year's long storm delay in a race which was eventually won by Alonso. In 2009, heavy rain forced the grand prix's cancellation after just 31 laps, with Button awarded victory. 

Published in The Express Tribune, March 24th, 2013.

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