Istanbul: Formula One world champion Sebastian Vettel bounced back from his crash in practice on Friday to claim pole position in an all Red Bull front row on Saturday for Sunday`s Turkish Grand Prix.
His fourth successive pole position from the opening four races of the season was the first time this feat had been achieved since Finnish driver Mika Hakkinen in 1999.
The 23-year-old German drove his Red Bull car, dubbed `Kinky Kylie` with great conviction despite his damaging experience the previous day, to clock an outstanding lap time of one minute and 25.049 seconds.
He clocked his lap on his first run in the top-ten shootout, the third Q3 part of qualifying, and then saved his tyres by not going out again such was his supreme confidence for the 19th pole of his remarkable career.
He was also, stunningly, four-tenths of a second ahead of his Red Bull team-mate Australian Mark Webber, who also chose to run only once in Q3, leaving both men with a spare set of tyres for the race.
Afterwards Vettel was quick to apologise to - and then praise - his team`s mechanics for the work they did in rebuilding his machine overnight.
"Apologies to the team and the mechanics," said Vettel. "Obviously I damaged the car yesterday and couldn`t run in the afternoon and they did such a good job fixing it.”
"We have been good since this morning and I am happy with this result. I have not had a completely trouble-free day, but I like this track and that helps. I found a good rhythm.”
"It was funny that Mark and myself both decided to skip the second run in Q3 because it is so strange to see the others on the track and we are watching knowing they can beat us."
Webber, who produced a superb drive in the previous Grand Prix to come from 18th on the grid to finish third, admitted he had taken a risk in not going out again.
"Seb did such a great lap for pole, but I had more to lose not going out," said Webber."But it is going to be a long race tomorrow but we are in the best positions and with tyres, too, we are in good shape. Good decisions by the team and I am happy." German Nico Rosberg was third fastest for the improved Mercedes team, just pipping McLaren`s Lewis Hamilton, the 2008 champion and winner of the last Grand Prix, while two-times champion Spaniard Fernando Alonso of Ferrari was fifth fastest.
Rosberg, son of Finland`s former world champion Keke, said that he was looking forward to Sunday`s race. "It is really great for us to be here, to be third and I have also managed to save a set of tyres so we are feeling positive for the race."
Hamilton said that whilst they would start from what he believes is the disadvantageous side of the grid he held out hopes of an impressive showing."I think we have always been on the dirty side of the grid, every time we come here - but I am still really looking forwards to the race here. It is a long one and a lot can happen."
The session was run in warm, dry conditions under a near-cloudless blue sky and amid rumours that intensified this weekend suggesting that this is the sixth and last Turkish Grand Prix due to lack of spectators and support.
Bureau Report
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.