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VALENCIA, Spain - Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel took a big step towards becoming Formula 1's first repeat winner of the season after qualifying on pole position for Sunday's European Grand Prix for the third year in a row.
The 24-year-old double world champion whooped with joy over the team radio after beating McLaren's Lewis Hamilton to the top slot with a best time of 1min38.086 seconds in the Valencia heat.
"Oh yes, we did the right thing at the end. That was a challenge, boys," shouted the German after being told that Hamilton and "the rest of the world" was behind him.
IN GREAT COMPANY
His 33rd career pole lifted Vettel to equal third place with four times champion Alain Prost and the late Jim Clark in the sport's all-time records.
Vettel told reporters: "I had a good feeling on the last lap, put everything in and it was good enough for pole.
Team principal Christian Horner said it was more than good: "He strung it all together...he put together a perfect lap, probably his best lap this year I would say."
Hamilton, winner in Canada two weeks ago but whose team have yet to triumph in Valencia, declared himself surprised to have made second on the grid.
"I expected to be further back," said the 2008 world champion, who leads Spaniard Fernando Alonso by two points after seven races with Vettel a point further adrift.
'DIFFERENT WINNER' RUN TO END?
"We had to make some adjustments and it seemed to work. I am surprised," added the Briton.
Venezuela's Pastor Maldonado, winner of the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona, was an impressive third in a Williams.
The two Lotuses of Romain Grosjean and Kimi Raikkonen, who have been going well in hot weather this season, made the most of the 46 degree centigrade track temperature to take fourth and fifth place.
Hopes of an unprecedented eighth different winner in the first eight races faded considerably, with the top three all having won this season and no winner in four previous races in Valencia having ever started lower than third.
Germany's Nico Rosberg was sixth in a Mercedes and local favourite Alonso was back in 11th, with Ferrari president Luca Di Montezemolo watching from the garage on a rare race visit.
Marussia's German driver Timo Glock missed qualifying with a stomach bug and remains a doubt for Sunday's race, with the decision in the hands of stewards as much as doctors and his tail-end team.
Provisional qualifying results from the European Formula One Grand Prix in Valencia:
1. Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) 1min38.086
2. Lewis Hamilton (McLaren) 1min38.410
3. Pastor Maldonado (Williams) 1min38.475
4. Romain Grosjean (Lotus) 1min38.505
5. Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus) 1min38.513
6. Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) 1min38.623
7. Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber) 1min38.741
8. Nico Huelkenberg (Force India) 1min38.752
9. Jenson Button (McLaren) 1min38.801
10. Paul Di Resta (Force India) 1min38.992
***
11. Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) 1min38.707
12. Michael Schumacher (Mercedes) 1min38.770
13. Felipe Massa (Ferrari) 1min38.780
14. Bruno Senna (Williams) 1min39.207
15. Sergio Perez (Sauber) 1min39.358
16. Heikki Kovalainen (Caterham) 1min40.295
17. Daniel Ricciardo (Toro Rosso) 1min40.358
***
18. Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso) 1min40.203
19. Mark Webber (Red Bull) 1min40.395
20. Vitaly Petrov (Caterham) 1min40.457
21. Pedro de la Rosa (HRT) 1min42.171
22. Narain Karthikeyan (HRT) 1min42.527
23. Charles Pic (Marussia) 1min42.675
24. Timo Glock (Marussia)
First practice session times
Second practice session times
Third practice session times
Stay with Wheels24 for the European F1 GP
The 24-year-old double world champion whooped with joy over the team radio after beating McLaren's Lewis Hamilton to the top slot with a best time of 1min38.086 seconds in the Valencia heat.
"Oh yes, we did the right thing at the end. That was a challenge, boys," shouted the German after being told that Hamilton and "the rest of the world" was behind him.
IN GREAT COMPANY
His 33rd career pole lifted Vettel to equal third place with four times champion Alain Prost and the late Jim Clark in the sport's all-time records.
Vettel told reporters: "I had a good feeling on the last lap, put everything in and it was good enough for pole.
Team principal Christian Horner said it was more than good: "He strung it all together...he put together a perfect lap, probably his best lap this year I would say."
Hamilton, winner in Canada two weeks ago but whose team have yet to triumph in Valencia, declared himself surprised to have made second on the grid.
"I expected to be further back," said the 2008 world champion, who leads Spaniard Fernando Alonso by two points after seven races with Vettel a point further adrift.
'DIFFERENT WINNER' RUN TO END?
"We had to make some adjustments and it seemed to work. I am surprised," added the Briton.
Venezuela's Pastor Maldonado, winner of the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona, was an impressive third in a Williams.
The two Lotuses of Romain Grosjean and Kimi Raikkonen, who have been going well in hot weather this season, made the most of the 46 degree centigrade track temperature to take fourth and fifth place.
Hopes of an unprecedented eighth different winner in the first eight races faded considerably, with the top three all having won this season and no winner in four previous races in Valencia having ever started lower than third.
Germany's Nico Rosberg was sixth in a Mercedes and local favourite Alonso was back in 11th, with Ferrari president Luca Di Montezemolo watching from the garage on a rare race visit.
Marussia's German driver Timo Glock missed qualifying with a stomach bug and remains a doubt for Sunday's race, with the decision in the hands of stewards as much as doctors and his tail-end team.
Provisional qualifying results from the European Formula One Grand Prix in Valencia:
1. Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) 1min38.086
2. Lewis Hamilton (McLaren) 1min38.410
3. Pastor Maldonado (Williams) 1min38.475
4. Romain Grosjean (Lotus) 1min38.505
5. Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus) 1min38.513
6. Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) 1min38.623
7. Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber) 1min38.741
8. Nico Huelkenberg (Force India) 1min38.752
9. Jenson Button (McLaren) 1min38.801
10. Paul Di Resta (Force India) 1min38.992
***
11. Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) 1min38.707
12. Michael Schumacher (Mercedes) 1min38.770
13. Felipe Massa (Ferrari) 1min38.780
14. Bruno Senna (Williams) 1min39.207
15. Sergio Perez (Sauber) 1min39.358
16. Heikki Kovalainen (Caterham) 1min40.295
17. Daniel Ricciardo (Toro Rosso) 1min40.358
***
18. Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso) 1min40.203
19. Mark Webber (Red Bull) 1min40.395
20. Vitaly Petrov (Caterham) 1min40.457
21. Pedro de la Rosa (HRT) 1min42.171
22. Narain Karthikeyan (HRT) 1min42.527
23. Charles Pic (Marussia) 1min42.675
24. Timo Glock (Marussia)
First practice session times
Second practice session times
Third practice session times
Stay with Wheels24 for the European F1 GP