F1 News
Date: 8/October/2011
With just five minutes of Saturday's qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix remaining, the scene looked set for the first non-Red Bull pole of the 2011 season.
McLaren drivers Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button were holding first and second, as they had finished in all but one of the free practice sessions.
But champion-in-waiting Sebastian Vettel was able to overcome them both on his final lap to claim a twelfth pole of the year.
Vettel beat Button, fastest in every session prior to qualifying, by just 0.009sec, while a frustrated Hamilton was relegated to third after being denied even the chance of a final lap.
The Briton was overtaken on either side by Vettel's team-mate Mark Webber and Mercedes driver Michael Schumacher, as he entered the chicane with just seconds to spare before the end of qualifying.
The time lost as he took evasive action cost Hamilton meant the session ended before he could start his planned last lap. It looked like the Englishman had been caught napping, but Hamilton felt the others had acted dangerously.
"I felt I was in a position to at least fight with these guys [for pole] but it was a bit dangerous at the last corner where I had Mark attacking me and Michael down the outside," said Hamilton. "It was very, very strange and that’s really where we lost the lap.
"Jenson was in front of me. He slowed down to get his gap and I was coming up to the last corner, trying to make sure that I had a gap between me and him.
"Just as I was coming into the chicane I looked in my mirror and I saw Mark diving up the inside of me. I didn’t even see Michael, but as I gave Mark room, Michael nearly crashed into me on the left. So it was quite dangerous."
In contrast to Hamilton's negative body language was a glowing Vettel, who needs to score just a single point on Sunday to be crowned champion for a second year in succession.
"What a qualifying!" grinned the young German, who began the weekend badly with a crash in practice. "Yesterday I went off in the free practice and damaged the wing, so it wasn’t ideal to prepare the car for today.
"We sat down after the practice session this morning and fortunately got everything together and we were able to get everything, every single bit out of the car, which was crucial.
"I had a bit of a wobble in sector one, but then I made up for it in the second sector and we have been strong in the third sector, so, all in all, fantastic. We were able to extract everything we had today, which was just enough, so very happy."
Vettel continues to insist that he not thinking about 'making his point'.
"Regarding the point or no point, I am not really focusing on that," he claimed. "It is a long race. There are a lot of things that can happen and it is a very challenging track. I am looking forward to the race and not for the point."
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