Webber snatches pole from Vettel in Japan
Australian pips teammate in qualifying at Suzuka but the German triple world champion still has the chance to wrap up title on Sunday
Red Bull’s Mark Webber upstaged his title-seeking teammate Sebastian Vettel on Saturday as he snatched his first pole position of the season in a masterful qualifying drive for the Japanese Formula One Grand Prix.
With all eyes on Vettel, who may be able to land his fourth successive world title in Sunday’s race, the soon-to-retire Australian lapped 1:30.915 to push Vettel into second.
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton will start behind the Red Bulls on the second row alongside Lotus’s Romain Grosjean, with Felipe Massa and Nico Rosberg on the third row.
Nico Hulkenberg timed seventh, just ahead of Fernando Alonso. If Vettel wins on Sunday, the Ferrari man will need to finish inside the top eight to keep the title race alive.
Sebastian had a problem so it’s a little bit of a hollow pole. But you take them where you can get them. It’s not like they hand them out
Webber’s rivalry with Vettel reached boiling point earlier this season when the German ignored team orders and overtook his stablemate to win the Malaysian Grand Prix.