Home » Sports » Motor Racing
Webber ends Vettel's pole run
Source: Agencies |
May 22, 2011, Sunday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
AUSTRALIAN Mark Webber took pole position for the Spanish Grand Prix yesterday and ended Red Bull teammate Sebastian Vettel's bid for a sixth in succession.
Formula One world champion Vettel, winner of three of the first four races of the season from pole position as well as last year's final round in Abu Dhabi, will start alongside on the front row.
McLaren's Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, favorite of his home Spanish crowd, will line up together on the second row today.
"I don't think we can speak of big disappointment, we made a good step forward," said Vettel, who will still be making his 10th successive front row start.
"He (Webber) did a better job today."
The Australian has yet to win a race this season but was triumphant last year from pole position at a circuit where the winner has started in the top slot for all of the past decade.
However, the new moveable rear wing, kinetic energy recovery system and quick-wearing Pirelli tires should make today's race far less predictable with plenty of overtaking and pitstops expected.
"I'll have a good sleep tonight, come back and do the best job I can tomorrow," Webber said after his first pole since Belgium last August and seventh of his career.
He had been fastest throughout practice on Friday and, with drivers eager to save their soft tires for the race knowing that the harder tires carried with them a big drop off in performance, wrapped up pole with his one flying lap in the final qualifying session.
The Australian retired to the garage with 90 seconds to run in the final qualifying session, confident of pole after going around the Catalunya Circuit in 1 minute, 20.981 seconds to edge Vettel by two-tenths.
Red Bull has now started from pole position in 20 of the last 24 races.
Jenson Button of McLaren and Renault's Vitaly Petrov filled out the third row, with Nico Rosberg of Mercedes starting seventh ahead of Ferrari's Felipe Massa.
Michael Schumacher, the seven-time world champion who won six times in Barcelona with Benetton and Ferrari before making his comeback with Mercedes, did not set a timed lap in the last part and will start 10th.
That was one place behind Venezuelan rookie Pastor Maldonado, making his first appearance in the top 10 with Williams.
Further back, Team Lotus celebrated Heikki Kovalainen's 15th place on the grid, its best qualifying performance in dry conditions.
Renault's Nick Heidfeld did not take part in qualifying after his car caught fire in final practice and could not be rebuilt in time.
Fears that the Hispania and Virgin cars would not make the qualifying standard, based on times in practice, proved unfounded.
Vettel holds a 34-point lead over second-place Hamilton and 38 over third-place Webber in the standings.
(Agencies)
Formula One world champion Vettel, winner of three of the first four races of the season from pole position as well as last year's final round in Abu Dhabi, will start alongside on the front row.
McLaren's Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, favorite of his home Spanish crowd, will line up together on the second row today.
"I don't think we can speak of big disappointment, we made a good step forward," said Vettel, who will still be making his 10th successive front row start.
"He (Webber) did a better job today."
The Australian has yet to win a race this season but was triumphant last year from pole position at a circuit where the winner has started in the top slot for all of the past decade.
However, the new moveable rear wing, kinetic energy recovery system and quick-wearing Pirelli tires should make today's race far less predictable with plenty of overtaking and pitstops expected.
"I'll have a good sleep tonight, come back and do the best job I can tomorrow," Webber said after his first pole since Belgium last August and seventh of his career.
He had been fastest throughout practice on Friday and, with drivers eager to save their soft tires for the race knowing that the harder tires carried with them a big drop off in performance, wrapped up pole with his one flying lap in the final qualifying session.
The Australian retired to the garage with 90 seconds to run in the final qualifying session, confident of pole after going around the Catalunya Circuit in 1 minute, 20.981 seconds to edge Vettel by two-tenths.
Red Bull has now started from pole position in 20 of the last 24 races.
Jenson Button of McLaren and Renault's Vitaly Petrov filled out the third row, with Nico Rosberg of Mercedes starting seventh ahead of Ferrari's Felipe Massa.
Michael Schumacher, the seven-time world champion who won six times in Barcelona with Benetton and Ferrari before making his comeback with Mercedes, did not set a timed lap in the last part and will start 10th.
That was one place behind Venezuelan rookie Pastor Maldonado, making his first appearance in the top 10 with Williams.
Further back, Team Lotus celebrated Heikki Kovalainen's 15th place on the grid, its best qualifying performance in dry conditions.
Renault's Nick Heidfeld did not take part in qualifying after his car caught fire in final practice and could not be rebuilt in time.
Fears that the Hispania and Virgin cars would not make the qualifying standard, based on times in practice, proved unfounded.
Vettel holds a 34-point lead over second-place Hamilton and 38 over third-place Webber in the standings.
(Agencies)
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
