Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/216204
54 Sport maltatoday, SUNDAY, 24 NOVEMBER 2013 2013 FORMULA 1 Vettel crushes opposition for Brazilian pole Qualifying results 2013 Brazilian Formula 1 Grand Prix SEBASTIAN Vettel will start from pole position in his quest for a record-equalling ninth consecutive victory after completely dominating the final qualifying session in Brazil yesterday, but in his search for a final victory before retiring from F1 racing, Red Bull team mate Mark Webber will have to deal with Mercedes' Nico Rosberg and Ferrari's Fernando Alonso before he can challenge the new world champion. There was never any question that Q1 would be wet; the question was how wet. And with more rain imminent Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton went out straight away and in a great piece of opportunism and commitment banged in the fastest lap we would see in the session with a 1m 25.342s. Vettel was out moments later but just came up short with 1m 25.381s, as Rosberg managed 1m 25.556s. Further back, though Lotus's Heikki Kovalainen jumped from 14th to fifth and Toro Rosso's Jean-Eric Vergne got himself out of trouble, Toro Rosso's Daniel Ricciardo, Williams' Pastor Maldonado and Sauber's Esteban Gutierrez all failed to improve. The Australian just got through with his previous 1m 27.209s, leaving the Venezuelan as the first faller on 1m 27.367s ahead of the Mexican on 1m 27.445s and an impressive Charles Pic in 19th for Caterham on 1m 27.843s. The other Caterham of Giedo van der Garde was next on 1m 28.320s, with the Marussias of Jules Bianchi and Max Chilton right behind on 1m 28.366s and 1m 28.950s. It was still raining for Q2, which was slightly wetter. This time it was Lotus' Romain Grosjean who set the pace with a lap of 1m 26.161s - three-tenths up on Vettel and four on Alonso. As Sauber's Nico Hulkenberg did 1m 27.441s, Kovalainen was the first man to lose out with 1m 27.456s, which was unfortunate given his team mate's pace. Paul di Resta was next on 1m 27.798s for Force India, with Valtteri Bottas 13th for Williams on 1m 27.954s. McLaren duo Sergio Perez and Jenson Button were 14th and 15th on 1m 28.269s and 1m 28.308s respectively, but the Mexican got it wrong trying to go faster and tore off his right-rear wheel and both wings in a shunt right at the end of Q2. Force India's Adrian Sutil, on 1m 28.586s, completed those who didn't make it to Q3. The rain did not abate for Q3, but the start was delayed, initially by 10 minutes, due to the adverse conditions and the Mercedes medical car was sent out to conduct a track assessment. Eventually it was announced that the session would restart at 15.30, after around a 45-minute delay. Everyone went out on full wets at the start of Q3, but whilst everyone else opted to complete a timed lap, Grosjean came straight in and switched to intermediates. It proved a good move as the Frenchman immediately displaced Vettel's early best of 1m 28.830s by banging in a 1m 27.773s. That didn't last, however. With everyone now on inters, Webber did 1m 27.623s before Vettel beat that with 1m 26.479s. Rosberg then pushed ahead of Webber with 1m 27.555s, was supplanted by Alonso on 1m 27.539s, then grabbed the place back with 1m 27.102s. Hamilton also improved, but not enough, 1m 27.677s leaving him fifth behind Webber who had trimmed to 1m 27.572s. Grosjean also disappointed, with 1m 27.737s, as Ricciardo just beat Toro Rosso partner Vergne, 1m 28.052s to 1m 28.081s. Home favourite Felipe Massa could only clock a 1m 28.109s in his Ferrari for ninth, as Hulkenberg struggled to 10th with 1m 29.582s. With the weather forecast remaining unsettled for today, we could be in for an unpredictable race. Pos. Driver Time 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. S. Vettel N. Rosberg F. Alonso M. Webber L. Hamilton R. Grosjean D. Ricciardo J. Vergne F. Massa N. Hulkenberg H. Kovalainen P. di Resta V. Bottas S. Perez J. Button A. Sutil P. Maldonado E. Gutiérrez C. Pic G. van der Garde J. Bianchi M. Chilton 01:26.479 01:27.102 01:27.539 01:27.572 01:27.677 01:27.737 01:28.052 01:28.081 01:28.109 01:29.582 01:27.456 01:27.798 01:27.954 01:28.269 01:28.308 01:28.586 01:27.367 01:27.445 01:27.843 01:28.320 01:28.366 01:28.950 Alonso has 'mixed feelings' over third FERNANDO Alonso was left with mixed feelings after securing third on the grid for the Brazilian Grand Prix, admitting that while it marks a pleasant change from his recent grid positions, he could have placed higher if he had conducted a cleaner final lap. The Ferrari driver, who was outpaced by Sebastian Vettel and Nico Rosberg in the shootout phase, took to the run-off area at Turn 4 of the Interlagos circuit on his fastest timed attempt, predicting that he lost up to eight tenths of a second in the process. And while he reckons pole-sitter Vettel was out of reach, he is confident that Rosberg, who finished just over four tenths ahead, could have been usurped. "I have mixed feelings," Alonso commented after qualifying. "I'm happy to be so far up the grid, but I am not totally happy with my lap. I lost a lot of time. "I would not have beaten Seb, he was too far ahead, but I think [I had enough] for second. I lost about seven or eight tenths running off track at Turn 4." If conditions remain the same for the race, Alonso has no fears over Ferrari's potential: "We know that in the wet we normally improve. We have been waiting for some wet races but it has only come at the last one in Brazil." Felipe Massa ended his final qualifying session for Ferrari in ninth position.