Mark Webber seized pole position for today’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (start: 2pm Malta time) with Red Bull team-mate and quadruple world champion Sebastian Vettel making a rare error and having to settle for second best.
The pole, with Webber ap-proaching the end of his Formula One career this month, was the Australian’s 13th in 12 years and second in three races.
“Mark did a very good lap so congratulations to him,” said Vettel, who is chasing his seventh win in a row after wrapping up a fourth successive title with victory from pole in India last weekend.
“I should have done a little bit better, but I don’t know if it would have been enough. He did a great job, no mistakes,” added the German, whose team also secured their fourth constructors’ crown in a row in India.
“We lost it in turn one, sorry guys,” the 26-year-old had said over the team radio.
Mercedes filled the second row at the Yas Marina circuit, with Germany’s Nico Rosberg qualifying third and Britain’s 2008 world champion Lewis Hamilton fourth despite spinning off on his final lap.
Only Vettel and Hamilton, when he was with McLaren, had previously qualified on pole in the four races to date in the Emirate.
Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso, currently second overall and fighting to lift his team ahead of Mercedes and back to second in the constructors’ championship, had a miserable evening and finished 11th.
It was the first time this season the Spaniard has failed to qualify in the top 10 but it came as no surprise after Ferrari appeared to be struggling in practice.
Brazilian team-mate Felipe Massa, who is leaving the team at the end of the year, qualified one place ahead of the double world champion.
“All weekend we haven’t been so quick and in qualifying we were not so fast,” Alonso told reporters.
“Also my laps were not so clean and I lost a couple of tenths. Maybe it is better to start in this position tomorrow (today).”
Alonso was eventually promoted to 10th after Kimi Raikkonen, who is third overall and 24 points behind the Spaniard, qualified fifth for Lotus but was then sent to the back of the grid after his Lotus failed a post-qualifying inspection.
Stewards said that the Finnwas excluded from the results after failing a front floor deflection test. Raikkonen’s team-mate Romain Grosjean qualified a disappointing seventh but will now start sixth on the grid.
Today’s starting grid in Abu Dhabi
| 1. Mark Webber (Australia) | Red Bull | 1:39.957 |
| 2. Sebastian Vettel (Germany) | Red Bull | 1:40.075 |
| 3. Nico Rosberg (Germany) | Mercedes | 1:40.419 |
| 4. Lewis Hamilton (Britain) | Mercedes | 1:40.501 |
| 5. Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) | Lotus | *1:40.542 |
| 6. Nico Hulkenberg (Germany) | Sauber | 1:40.576 |
| 7. Romain Grosjean (France) | Lotus | 1:40.997 |
| 8. Felipe Massa (Brazil) | Ferrari | 1:41.015 |
| 9. Sergio Perez (Mexico) | McLaren | 1:41.068 |
| 10. Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) | Toro Rosso | 1:41.111 |
| 11. Fernando Alonso (Spain) | Ferrari | 1:41.093 |
| 12. Paul Di Resta (Britain) | Force India | 1:41.133 |
| 13. Jenson Button (Britain) | McLaren | 1:41.200 |
| 14. Jean-Eric Vergne (France) | Toro Rosso | 1:41.279 |
| 15. Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela) | Williams | 1:41.395 |
| 16. Valtteri Bottas (Finland) | Williams | 1:41.447 |
| 17. Esteban Gutierrez (Mexico) | Sauber | 1:41.999 |
| 18. Adrian Sutil (Germany) | Force India | 1:42.051 |
| 19. Giedo van der Garde (Holland) | Caterham | 1:43.252 |
| 20. Jules Bianchi (France) | Marussia | 1:43.398 |
| 21. Charles Pic (France) | Caterham | 1:43.528 |
| 22. Max Chilton (Britain) | Marussia | 1:44.198 |
Note: Raikkonen demoted to back of grid after failing an inspection.
Standings: 1. Vettel 322; 2. Alonso 207; 3. Raikkonen 183; 4. Hamilton 169; 5. Webber 148; 6. Rosberg 144; 7. Grosjean 102; 8. Massa 102; 9. Button 60; 10. Di Resta 40; 11. Hulkenberg 39; 12. Perez 33; 13. Sutil 28; 14. Ricciardo 19; 15. Vergne 13; 16. Gutierrez 6; 17. Maldonado 1.