Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel snatched pole position for the Japanese Grand Prix in thrilling fashion yesterday as he closed in on an historic second consecutive world title.

The German, winner of the last two races at Suzuka, scorched round the challenging lay-out to take his 12th pole of the season with a qualifying time of 1min 30.466secs, edging Briton Jenson Button of McLaren by just 0.009sec.

The 24-year-old Vettel, who crashed on Friday and trailed Button in all three practice sessions, needs to finish just 10th or better in Japan to become the youngest Formula One driver to win back-to-back world titles.

Vettel can also clinch the championship if Button doesn’t win today’s race.

Lewis Hamilton meanwhile found himself at the heart of more controversy after he claimed Michael Schumacher’s driving was “dangerous” and “ridiculous” following a near collision between the pair at the end of qualifying.

And in late drama, home favourite Kamui Kobayashi of Sauber was bumped up three places to seventh on the grid due to a technicality.

Vettel’s pole was the 27th of his career, and maintained Red Bull’s perfect 2011 record with a 15th pole in as many races this season.

“Yesterday I went off in practice and damaged the car, and I didn’t have the afternoon to prepare the car for today,” Vettel said.

“We sat down after the practice session this morning and tried to put everything together, and we were able to get every single thing out of the car, which is crucial.”

Sauber’s Kobayashi was one of four drivers not to set a flying lap time in the final session of qualifying.

But because he was the only one of the four to have embarked on a flying lap, which he aborted, he was promoted to seventh on the grid after being provisionally listed as 10th.

As a result Schumacher and Renault team-mates Bruno Senna of Brazil and Vitaly Petrov of Russia, the other drivers who failed to post a time, each dropped down a place on the grid.

Today’s starting grid

1. Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull - 1:30.466
2. Jenson Button, McLaren - 1:30.475
3. Lewis Hamilton, McLaren - 1:30.617
4. Felipe Massa, Ferrari - 1:30.804
5. Fernando Alonso, Ferrari - 1:30.886
6. Mark Webber, Red Bull - 1:31.156
7. Kamui Kobayashi, Sauber - NT
8. Michael Schumacher, Mercedes - NT
9. Bruno Senna, Lotus - NT
10. Vitaly Petrov, Lotus - NT
11. Adrian Sutil, Force India - 1:32.463
12. Paul Di Resta,Force India - 1:32.746
13. Rubens Barrichello, Williams - 1:33.079
14. Pastor Maldonando, Williams - 1:33.224
15. Sebastien Buemi, Toro Rosso - 1:33.227
16. Jaime Alguersuari, Toro Rosso - 1:33.427
17. Sergio Perez, Sauber - 1:34.707
18. Heikki Kovalainen, Lotus - 1:35.454
19. Jarno Trulli, Lotus - 1:35.514
20. Jerome D’Ambrosio, Virgin - 1:36.439
21. Timo Glock, Virgin - 1:36.507
22. Daniel Ricciardo, Hispania - 1:37.846
23. Nico Rosberg, Mercedes - NT
24. Vitantonio Liuzzi, Hispania - NT

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