Saturday: Vettel equals Mansell’s record
Once again, it is Sebastian Vettel who will start from pole position tomorrow. The Red Bull driver outpaced the two McLaren teammates in the final seconds of the qualifying session, equaling Nigel Mansell's record of 14 poles in a season. Mark Webber will start 4th and expressed disappointment with his last attempt.
Sebastian Vettel – 2nd and 1st:
« I’m quite happy. Yesterday, I wasn’t very pleased with my performance and with the car, I didn’t feel comfortable. Today was much better. McLaren seemed very strong since the beginning of the weekend, but I thought that if I put everything together, then we had a chance for pole in Q3, and that’s what happened. I’m very happy with the pole, and it’s very special to equal Nigel Mansell. It’s a fantastic year, and it’s not over yet. I’m looking forward to tomorrow. »
Mark Webber – 3rd and 4th:
« I’m disappointed with my last lap, it was a bit disjointed. We had to communicate more than usual during the out lap because of some things we were managing, which somewhat affected my preparation. Sometimes you see Seb’s lap and you say to yourself ‘Wow, you can’t do that,’ he had a good lap today but I don’t feel like I did my best when it counted. It will be an interesting first sector. I think this circuit is not ideal for overtaking so we’ll have to focus on the DRS zones and pit stops.
Christian Horner – team principal:
« An incredible last lap from Sebastian, securing pole in what was a really exciting qualifying session this evening. It’s an incredible reward for him to match Nigel Mansell’s 14 poles in a single season, which also happened with a car designed by Adrian Newey in 1992 and with a Renault engine. It’s a huge success for Sebastian. Mark is only 2 tenths off the front row, showing just how close this weekend is. I’m sure we’re going to have an exciting race tomorrow. »
