Vettel storms to Abu Dhabi pole
Sebastian Vettel grabbed his 10th pole of the season after finishing fastest in qualifying.
ABU DHABI:
Red Bull’s title-chasing Sebastian Vettel claimed pole position for today’s championship-deciding season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, outpacing title-rival Briton Lewis Hamilton of McLaren by just 0.031 seconds.
Championship leader Fernando Alonso of Ferrari was third fastest just three-tenths of a second behind Hamilton with 2009 champion Jenson Button fourth in the second McLaren, his presence ensuring an element of uncertainty in the fight for the title today.
Australian Mark Webber, better known for his race-craft than his qualifying, was the fifth fastest driver in the second Red Bull, the last of the four title contenders. He will share the third row of the grid with sixth-placed Brazilian Felipe Massa of Ferrari.
In a thrilling and dramatic finale to a tense qualifying session at the spectacular Yas Marina Circuit, Vettel managed to find the speed to resist a determined surge from a fired-up Hamilton who drove with real élan in his own charge for pole.
It was the German’s 10th pole of the season and the 15th of his career and gives him an excellent opportunity of lifting the drivers’ championship to add to the constructors’ title won by the Red Bull team last weekend in Brazil.
“Happy, yes, I’m happy,” said Vettel. “I think it is pretty good to take 10 poles in one season, isn’t it? It was good today. Very good, actually. I enjoyed it, but in retrospect I think I should’ve done two runs in the final part of the session not one, just to be more secure.”
Published in The Express Tribune, November 14th, 2010.
Red Bull’s title-chasing Sebastian Vettel claimed pole position for today’s championship-deciding season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, outpacing title-rival Briton Lewis Hamilton of McLaren by just 0.031 seconds.
Championship leader Fernando Alonso of Ferrari was third fastest just three-tenths of a second behind Hamilton with 2009 champion Jenson Button fourth in the second McLaren, his presence ensuring an element of uncertainty in the fight for the title today.
Australian Mark Webber, better known for his race-craft than his qualifying, was the fifth fastest driver in the second Red Bull, the last of the four title contenders. He will share the third row of the grid with sixth-placed Brazilian Felipe Massa of Ferrari.
In a thrilling and dramatic finale to a tense qualifying session at the spectacular Yas Marina Circuit, Vettel managed to find the speed to resist a determined surge from a fired-up Hamilton who drove with real élan in his own charge for pole.
It was the German’s 10th pole of the season and the 15th of his career and gives him an excellent opportunity of lifting the drivers’ championship to add to the constructors’ title won by the Red Bull team last weekend in Brazil.
“Happy, yes, I’m happy,” said Vettel. “I think it is pretty good to take 10 poles in one season, isn’t it? It was good today. Very good, actually. I enjoyed it, but in retrospect I think I should’ve done two runs in the final part of the session not one, just to be more secure.”
Published in The Express Tribune, November 14th, 2010.