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Vettel snatches pole for European GP
Source: Agencies |
June 26, 2011, Sunday
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SEBASTIAN Vettel easily took pole position for the European Grand Prix as the Formula One leader continued his dominant season by securing a Red Bull 1-2 in qualifying yesterday.
Vettel's quickest lap of one minute, 36.975 seconds in hot, muggy conditions around Valencia's street circuit was just under two-tenths of a second faster than teammate Mark Webber.
Lewis Hamilton of McLaren starts third, ahead of Ferrari pair Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa, with Jenson Button of McLaren completing the third row.
Vettel's seventh pole in eight races was the 22nd of his career to put himself in position for a sixth victory.
"A very good day for us, good to be on the front row for our team," said Vettel, who leads Button by 60 points in the drivers' standings.
Vettel tried to stay cool inside the garage as the track temperature soared to 45 degrees Celsius at the America's Cup harbor course, where the 23-year-old German set the pace after the halfway point of the 10-minute final session.
A new regulation change introduced in Valencia - forbidding teams from tinkering with the engine between qualifying and the race - appeared to have little effect on Red Bull's clear pace advantage.
Hamilton believed uncertainty over pit stop strategy and an uncomfortable medium compound tire could throw up a surprise for today's 57-lap race as the 2008 champion attempts to win at the Mediterranean seaside course after three straight second-place results.
"I wasn't expecting to be so high after the third practice," Hamilton said. "We're as close as we can be."
Mercedes pair Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher trailed the top three teams while Nick Heidfeld of Renault and Force India's Adrian Sutil were also in the top 10.
Vettel's quickest lap of one minute, 36.975 seconds in hot, muggy conditions around Valencia's street circuit was just under two-tenths of a second faster than teammate Mark Webber.
Lewis Hamilton of McLaren starts third, ahead of Ferrari pair Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa, with Jenson Button of McLaren completing the third row.
Vettel's seventh pole in eight races was the 22nd of his career to put himself in position for a sixth victory.
"A very good day for us, good to be on the front row for our team," said Vettel, who leads Button by 60 points in the drivers' standings.
Vettel tried to stay cool inside the garage as the track temperature soared to 45 degrees Celsius at the America's Cup harbor course, where the 23-year-old German set the pace after the halfway point of the 10-minute final session.
A new regulation change introduced in Valencia - forbidding teams from tinkering with the engine between qualifying and the race - appeared to have little effect on Red Bull's clear pace advantage.
Hamilton believed uncertainty over pit stop strategy and an uncomfortable medium compound tire could throw up a surprise for today's 57-lap race as the 2008 champion attempts to win at the Mediterranean seaside course after three straight second-place results.
"I wasn't expecting to be so high after the third practice," Hamilton said. "We're as close as we can be."
Mercedes pair Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher trailed the top three teams while Nick Heidfeld of Renault and Force India's Adrian Sutil were also in the top 10.
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