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SEPANG, Malaysia - Reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel snatched pole position for the 2013 Malaysian Grand Prix in the dying seconds of a dramatic qualifying session which was thrown into chaos by rain.
In his final run on a drying track, Vettel stormed across the line in a time of 1min49.674, pipping Ferrari drivers Felipe Massa (1min50.587) and Fernando Alonso (1min50.727) with Mercedes new recruit Lewis Hamilton in fourth.
Red Bull's Mark Webber and Nico Rosberg of Mercedes will start the March 23 race from fifth and sixth, with Kimi Raikkonen, winner of the 2013 Australian GP, on the fourth row alongside McLaren's Jenson Button.
RAIN WOES IN SEPANG
Force India's Adrian Sutil was ninth ahead of McLaren's new recruit Sergio Perez, who finished the 2012 rain-interrupted race second for Swiss outfit Sauber.
Malaysia's ever-present tropical showers had disrupted the first practice sessions and clouds were again looming ominously as qualifying got underway.
With track temperatures at a sizzling 41 degrees Celsius, Sutil set the pace in Q1 with the Red Bulls of Vettel and Webber trailing in 15th and ninth respectively.
Rosberg was leading Q2 when the rain set in, effectively bringing the session to an early halt as the cars returned to the pits but not before Paul di Resta had twice lost control of his Force India.
With the cloudburst quickly easing, the cars switched to intermediate wet-dry tyres for the final qualifying shoot-out and officials disabled the DRS overtaking system in the slippery conditions.
Hamilton ran wide on the slick track but soon recovered to post the quickest time, before he was quickly usurped by Rosberg and then Vettel at the top of the standings after six minutes.
With two minutes left, Webber raced through to time quickest, a lead which lasted just seconds as Hamilton crossed behind him in a time of 1min51.699, a lap which seemed to have secured pole.
With the chequered flag waving, Alonso bolted over the line with a new fastest time, followed immediately by Vettel who claimed his 38th pole position and boosted his bid to win a fourth straight world championship..
Qualifying results from the 2013 Malaysian Grand Prix:
Q3
1. Sebastian Vettel (GER) Red Bull 1min49.674
2. Felipe Massa (BRA) Ferrari 1min50.587
3. Fernando Alonso (ESP) Ferrari 1min50.727
4. Lewis Hamilton (GBR) Mercedes 1min51.699
5. Mark Webber (AUS) Red Bull 1min52.244
6. Nico Rosberg (GER) Mercedes 1min52.519
7. Kimi Raikkonen (FIN) Lotus 1min52.970
8. Jenson Button (GBR) McLaren 1min53.175
9. Adrian Sutil (GER) Force India 1min53.439
10. Sergio Perez (MEX) McLaren 1min54.136
Q2
1. Nico Rosberg (GER) Mercedes 1min36.190 (Q)
2. Mark Webber (AUS) Red Bull 1min36.449 (Q)
3. Lewis Hamilton (GBR) Mercedes 1min36.517 (Q)
4. Kimi Raikkonen (FIN) Lotus 1min36.640 (Q)
5. Adrian Sutil (GER) Force India 1min36.834 (Q)
6. Felipe Massa (BRA) Ferrari 1min36.874 (Q)
7. Fernando Alonso (ESP) Ferrari 1min36.877 (Q)
8. Jenson Button (GBR) McLaren 1min37.117 (Q)
9. Sebastian Vettel (GER) Red Bull 1min37.245 (Q)
10. Sergio Perez (MEX) McLaren 1min37.342 (Q)
11. Romain Grosjean (FRA) Lotus 1min37.636
12. Nico Hulkenberg (GER) Sauber 1min38.125
13. Daniel Ricciardo (AUS) Toro Rosso 1min38.822
14. Esteban Gutierrez (MEX) Sauber 1min39.221
15. Paul di Resta (GBR) Force India 1min44.509
16. Pastor Maldonado (VEN) Williams
Q1
1. Adrian Sutil (GER) Force India 1min36.809 (Q)
2. Kimi Raikkonen (FIN) Lotus 1min36.959 (Q)
3. Nico Rosberg (GER) Mercedes 1min37.239 (Q)
4. Fernando Alonso (ESP) Ferrari 1min37.314 (Q)
5. Romain Grosjean (FRA) Lotus 1min37.363 (Q)
6. Jenson Button (GBR) McLaren 1min37.487 (Q)
7. Paul di Resta (GBR) Force India 1min37.493 (Q)
8. Lewis Hamilton (GBR) Mercedes 1min37.513 (Q)
9. Mark Webber (AUS) Red Bull 1min37.619 (Q)
10. Sergio Perez (MEX) McLaren 1min37.702 (Q)
11. Esteban Gutierrez (MEX) Sauber 1min37.707 (Q)
12. Felipe Massa (BRA) Ferrari 1min37.712 (Q)
13. Daniel Ricciardo (AUS) Toro Rosso 1min37.722 (Q)
14. Pastor Maldonado (VEN) Williams 1min37.867 (Q)
15. Sebastian Vettel (GER) Red Bull 1min37.899 (Q)
16. Nico Hulkenberg (GER) Sauber 1min37.931 (Q)
17. Jean-Eric Vergne (FRA) Toro Rosso 1min38.157
18. Valtteri Bottas (FIN) Williams 1min38.207
19. Jules Bianchi (FRA) Marussia 1min38.434
20. Charles Pic (FRA) Caterham 1min39.314
21. Max Chilton (GBR) Marussia 1min39.672
22. Giedo van der Garde (NED) Caterham 1min39.932
Third practice
Second practice
First practice
Stay with wheels24 for the Malaysian Grand Prix weekend!
In his final run on a drying track, Vettel stormed across the line in a time of 1min49.674, pipping Ferrari drivers Felipe Massa (1min50.587) and Fernando Alonso (1min50.727) with Mercedes new recruit Lewis Hamilton in fourth.
Red Bull's Mark Webber and Nico Rosberg of Mercedes will start the March 23 race from fifth and sixth, with Kimi Raikkonen, winner of the 2013 Australian GP, on the fourth row alongside McLaren's Jenson Button.
RAIN WOES IN SEPANG
Force India's Adrian Sutil was ninth ahead of McLaren's new recruit Sergio Perez, who finished the 2012 rain-interrupted race second for Swiss outfit Sauber.
Malaysia's ever-present tropical showers had disrupted the first practice sessions and clouds were again looming ominously as qualifying got underway.
With track temperatures at a sizzling 41 degrees Celsius, Sutil set the pace in Q1 with the Red Bulls of Vettel and Webber trailing in 15th and ninth respectively.
Rosberg was leading Q2 when the rain set in, effectively bringing the session to an early halt as the cars returned to the pits but not before Paul di Resta had twice lost control of his Force India.
With the cloudburst quickly easing, the cars switched to intermediate wet-dry tyres for the final qualifying shoot-out and officials disabled the DRS overtaking system in the slippery conditions.
Hamilton ran wide on the slick track but soon recovered to post the quickest time, before he was quickly usurped by Rosberg and then Vettel at the top of the standings after six minutes.
With two minutes left, Webber raced through to time quickest, a lead which lasted just seconds as Hamilton crossed behind him in a time of 1min51.699, a lap which seemed to have secured pole.
With the chequered flag waving, Alonso bolted over the line with a new fastest time, followed immediately by Vettel who claimed his 38th pole position and boosted his bid to win a fourth straight world championship..
Qualifying results from the 2013 Malaysian Grand Prix:
Q3
1. Sebastian Vettel (GER) Red Bull 1min49.674
2. Felipe Massa (BRA) Ferrari 1min50.587
3. Fernando Alonso (ESP) Ferrari 1min50.727
4. Lewis Hamilton (GBR) Mercedes 1min51.699
5. Mark Webber (AUS) Red Bull 1min52.244
6. Nico Rosberg (GER) Mercedes 1min52.519
7. Kimi Raikkonen (FIN) Lotus 1min52.970
8. Jenson Button (GBR) McLaren 1min53.175
9. Adrian Sutil (GER) Force India 1min53.439
10. Sergio Perez (MEX) McLaren 1min54.136
Q2
1. Nico Rosberg (GER) Mercedes 1min36.190 (Q)
2. Mark Webber (AUS) Red Bull 1min36.449 (Q)
3. Lewis Hamilton (GBR) Mercedes 1min36.517 (Q)
4. Kimi Raikkonen (FIN) Lotus 1min36.640 (Q)
5. Adrian Sutil (GER) Force India 1min36.834 (Q)
6. Felipe Massa (BRA) Ferrari 1min36.874 (Q)
7. Fernando Alonso (ESP) Ferrari 1min36.877 (Q)
8. Jenson Button (GBR) McLaren 1min37.117 (Q)
9. Sebastian Vettel (GER) Red Bull 1min37.245 (Q)
10. Sergio Perez (MEX) McLaren 1min37.342 (Q)
11. Romain Grosjean (FRA) Lotus 1min37.636
12. Nico Hulkenberg (GER) Sauber 1min38.125
13. Daniel Ricciardo (AUS) Toro Rosso 1min38.822
14. Esteban Gutierrez (MEX) Sauber 1min39.221
15. Paul di Resta (GBR) Force India 1min44.509
16. Pastor Maldonado (VEN) Williams
Q1
1. Adrian Sutil (GER) Force India 1min36.809 (Q)
2. Kimi Raikkonen (FIN) Lotus 1min36.959 (Q)
3. Nico Rosberg (GER) Mercedes 1min37.239 (Q)
4. Fernando Alonso (ESP) Ferrari 1min37.314 (Q)
5. Romain Grosjean (FRA) Lotus 1min37.363 (Q)
6. Jenson Button (GBR) McLaren 1min37.487 (Q)
7. Paul di Resta (GBR) Force India 1min37.493 (Q)
8. Lewis Hamilton (GBR) Mercedes 1min37.513 (Q)
9. Mark Webber (AUS) Red Bull 1min37.619 (Q)
10. Sergio Perez (MEX) McLaren 1min37.702 (Q)
11. Esteban Gutierrez (MEX) Sauber 1min37.707 (Q)
12. Felipe Massa (BRA) Ferrari 1min37.712 (Q)
13. Daniel Ricciardo (AUS) Toro Rosso 1min37.722 (Q)
14. Pastor Maldonado (VEN) Williams 1min37.867 (Q)
15. Sebastian Vettel (GER) Red Bull 1min37.899 (Q)
16. Nico Hulkenberg (GER) Sauber 1min37.931 (Q)
17. Jean-Eric Vergne (FRA) Toro Rosso 1min38.157
18. Valtteri Bottas (FIN) Williams 1min38.207
19. Jules Bianchi (FRA) Marussia 1min38.434
20. Charles Pic (FRA) Caterham 1min39.314
21. Max Chilton (GBR) Marussia 1min39.672
22. Giedo van der Garde (NED) Caterham 1min39.932
Third practice
Second practice
First practice
Stay with wheels24 for the Malaysian Grand Prix weekend!