Formula One news
Vettel clinches pole in Istanbul
06 June 2009 / Results / PhotosSebastian Vettel will be starting from pole position in Sunday's Turkish Grand Prix after claiming pole position for Red Bull Racing. The German heads the grid with championship leader Jenson Button alongside and Rubens Barrichello third. Three-time Istanbul winner Felipe Massa will start seventh for Ferrari.
Bright conditions and temperatures of 28°C (82°F) remained at Istanbul Park as qualifying got underway at 2pm. Vettel completed 18 laps to be tenth fastest in morning practice after suffering from a stoppage and lack of track time on Friday. Brawn driver Button had complained of high-speed understeer, setting the scene for a dramatic qualifying session later in the afternoon.
 |
| A visit to the gravel trap left Nelson Piquet out of Q2 |
Sébastien Buemi posted a strong effort to qualify 18th, having struggled all weekend to get to grips to the circuit's demands in a Formula One car. He out-qualifies more experienced team-mate Bourdais for the sixth time in seven races this year, with Giancarlo Fisichella's Force India the meat in the Toro Rosso sandwich at the back of the grid. Nelson Piquet had promised top ten form in morning practice but a impromptu spin into the gravel at Turn 3 put paid to the Brazilian's day, leaving the Renault 17th for the start after what the driver reported as a brake problem.
 |
| Lewis Hamilton's low-key day leaves him 16th, as he was in Monaco |
Q1's big surprise was reigning Champion Lewis Hamilton, however, who failed to match Adrian Sutil's time and dropped out of the running at the earliest possible point; 'no grip' means that the McLaren starts from 16th on the grid. Team-mate Heikki Kovalainen had a slightly better day, vowing never to give up from 14th after locking up at Turn 1, ahead of Sutil's Force India which qualified in Q2 for the second consecutive race.
Nick Heidfeld's BMW will start 11th on the grid and is the first car set to refuel before the start of the race, with Kazuki Nakajima lining up alongside on the sixth row. Germany's Timo Glock was disappointed to be walking away from qualifying ten minutes early after finishing the day 13th for Toyota. The first Williams and BMW cars are just ahead of the trio on the grid, as Nico Rosberg and Robert Kubica made the top ten.
 |
| Three-time Istanbul winner Felipe Massa is 7th on the grid |
Ahead of Fernando Alonso are the two Ferrari cars, equipped - as are the McLarens - with KERS, as Räikkönen circulated quicker than Istanbul king Felipe Massa, who will be starting from the seventh spot on the grid. Jarno Trulli's Toyota, having been second in final practice, completed a solid day to be the first non-Red Bull or Brawn car, in fifth place.
It was the Milton Keynes and Brackley-based teams heading the grid, however, with Red Bull surrounding Brawn on the front two rows. Mark Webber missed out on third position by less than half a tenth to Rubens Barrichello as Jenson Button seemingly recovered from his unspectacular weekend up to qualifying to clinch the front row place alongside Vettel, who has qualified in the top thee at all races bar Monaco (4th) this year and takes his first pole since China.
The five red lights will go out at 3pm local time (GMT +2) in Turkey on Sunday and can be followed live on GPUpdate.net.
more news
- 27 Nov.
- 26 Nov.
- 25 Nov.
- 24 Nov.
- 23 Nov.
Homepage
Jerez