Lewis Hamilton admits he does not like to use the word "confident", opting instead for "upbeat" and "positive" as he has a first win of the season in his sights.

It has been a lean time for Hamilton of late after a run of nine races without savouring the sweet taste of victory champagne, and with just two wins in his last 24.

But for the first time this year the 2008 world champion will start on the front row after coming as close as anybody to knocking Red Bull Racing off their perch.

Ahead of tomorrow's Turkish Grand Prix, only Mark Webber is ahead of the McLaren star on the grid.

Webber clinched his third straight pole today, becoming the first to do so since Ferrari's Felipe Massa three years ago, and the first Australian to achieve the feat since Sir Jack Brabham in 1960.

It also gave Red Bull their seventh successive pole position, the best run in F1 in one season since McLaren in 1999.

But Hamilton is determined to prevent Webber from making it three wins in a row at Istanbul Park tomorrow after his triumphs already this month in Spain and Monaco.

"I plan to win and we're in the closest position to do it, so I can only hope and pray tomorrow is a positive day," Hamilton said.

"I'm going to do everything I can to prepare myself mentally and come back tomorrow and fight.

"If I can get close enough to Mark, without a doubt I'll be taking the opportunity to pass."

Asked if he was confident of victory, Hamilton replied: "I don't like to use that word.

"But I'm happy with my car and very happy with the position I'm in, even if it is on the dirty side. You do what you can from there.

"But throughout a weekend I always seem to find more and more time, so I'm upbeat, positive."

Three weeks ago Hamilton was a second slower than a Red Bull one-two in qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix, but today the gap was just 0.138 seconds.

Hamilton added: "We're making steps forward and it's great to be able to separate the Red Bulls.

"The guys back at the factory are doing an incredible job and they are under immense pressure, but we all want to win and we're edging closer and closer.

"After qualifying I walked past Mark's car and I said to myself 'Just one more step'. I know we can fight these guys.

"They still have quite a big advantage on us, but we're going to get that advantage and hopefully you're going to see Jenson (Button) and I up there and them trying to split us."

Webber's pole was all the more remarkable given his problems in practice this weekend.

After his engine went yesterday afternoon, earlier today there was no response from the throttle to the engine which resulted in him trundling back to the garage running on idle.

Ahead of qualifying the team were forced into a last-minute dash for new parts, and with team-mate Sebastian Vettel also struggling with niggles, the team's reliability issues could prove pivotal.

"It hasn't been the smoothest weekend for us in terms of getting the running in," said Webber.

"If you're going to have an engine go then yesterday was the right time, and then I didn't have the easiest P3 (third practice).

"So I was a little on the back foot going into qualifying, but I dug deep, kept going and I got something out of it.

"At least I'm starting in the right place, although it was a tight fight. We're all very close."

Vettel, who starts third ahead of Jenson Button as McLaren enjoyed their best qualifying this season, needed a replacement hose during final practice and then suffered brake and steering issues in the final 10-minute session.

Behind Button are the Mercedes pairing of Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg, with Renault duo Robert Kubica and Vitaly Petrov seventh and ninth.

On the occasion of their 800th grands prix, Ferrari's Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso were a woeful ninth and 12th.