25 September,2011 07:00 AM IST | | Agencies
Championship-chasing German Sebastian Vettel nabbed his 11th pole position of the season on Saturday as his powerful Red Bull team secured a front-row lockout for the Singapore GP.
Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel after claiming pole for the Singapore
GP on Saturday
The 24-year-old dominated the floodlit night session as Red Bull extended their supremacy with a 14th successive pole, a 100 percent record that gives Vettel a good chance to retain his title in the 61-lap race on Sunday.
His Red Bull teammate Australian Mark Webber was second fastest thanks to a last-gasp lap of a competitive and tense session that featured a red flag interruption, accidents and punctures at the steamy Marina Bay circuit.
Spaniard Alonso qualified fifth for Ferrari behind the two McLarens of Britons Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton, the 2009 and 2008 champions respectively, who will line up in third and fourth places on the grid.
Vettel's pole was the 26th of his career as he seeks to become the youngest double champion in Formula One historyu00a0-- a feat he can achieve if he wins in Singapore and nearest rival Fernando Alonso fails to finish on the podium along with his other challengers.
Vettel was in such a strong qualifying position that he could afford to ease off and not deliver a second hot lap.
"I decided to abort my second run when I made a mistake because it is very easy to damage the car so I went wide," said Vettel.
Force India 9th, 10th
Force India's Adrian Sutil finished ninth in the qualifying sessionu00a0 followed by teammate Briton Paul di Resta.
