Newly-crowned double world champion Sebastian Vettel stormed into the Formula One record books again yesterday when he delivered a stunning fastest lap to secure pole position for the Brazilian GP.

The 24-year-old German became the first man to achieve 15 pole positions in a season when he steered his Red Bull car round the Interlagos circuit in 1:11.918.

It bettered the previous mark set by Nigel Mansell in 1992.

Vettel’s dazzling and dominant lap time meant he was the only man to break into the one minute 12 second barrier, his closest rival coming in the form of team-mate Mark Webber, 0.181 seconds slower, but fending off competition to secure another all-Red Bull front row.

“There has been quite some talk about this record and the best thing was not to think about it at all,” Vettel said.

“I am enjoying the moment. I put everything in the last lap and I was very emotional when I crossed the line as I knew that was all I had.

“Really special – it took the master in the discipline Nigel Mansell a couple of races less – and now I am looking forward to the race.”

McLaren drivers Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton were unable to catch the Red Bulls and settled for third and fourth on the grid ahead of Fernando Alonso, of Ferrari.

The top-10 shootout saw most drivers easing the heat into their tyres with a couple of warm-up laps before Vettel stormed in with a lap of one minute 12.268 seconds.

As if that wasn’t fast enough, he set a higher marker just minutes later breaking into the one minute 12-second barrier leaving Webber and Button to fight for second.

Today’s grid
1. Vettel (Red Bull) 1:11.918, 2. Webber (Red Bull) 1:12.099, 3. Button (McLaren) 1:12.283, 4. Hamilton (McLaren), 5. Alonso (Ferrari), 6. Rosberg (Mercedes), 7. Massa (Ferrari), 8. Sutil (Force India), 9. Senna (Lotus-Renault), 10. Schumacher (Mercedes).

11. Di Resta (Force India), 12. Barrichello (Williams), 13. Alguersuari (Toro Rosso), 14. Buemi (Toro Rosso), 15. Petrov (Lotus-Renault), 16. Kobayashi (Sauber), 17. Perez (Sauber), 18. Maldonado (Williams), 19. Kovalainen (Team Lotus), 20. Trulli (Team Lotus), 21. Liuzzi (Hispania), 22. Ricciardo (Hispania), 23. D’Ambrosio (Virgin), 24. Glock (Virgin).

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