Vettel equals pole record in Abu Dhabi, Force India secure top-10 finish
November 12th, 2011 - 10:06 pm ICT by IANSAbu Dhabi, Nov 12 (IANS) Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel took his 14th pole of the season in the Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix qualifying here Saturday to equal Nigel Mansell’s record of most poles in a year. Sahara Force India’s Adrian Sutil and Paul di Resta finished ninth and tenth fastest at the spectacular Yas Marina Circuit.
It was an eventful last few minutes in Q3 with McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton looking set for pole with 1m 38.622s. But Vettel, eying his 12th win of the season after already bagging the drivers’ title, spoilt McLaren’s party by a producing 1:38.481 in his last flying lap to stake claim for his third consecutive victory. Hamilton’s teammate Jenson Button was third in 1:38.631.
Interestingly, all 10 cars were out on the track with two minutes remaining in the final session.
Sutil and di Resta finished ahead of Mercedes’ Michael Schumacher in Q2 but settled for the fifth row on the grid. Sutil clocked 1:40.768 while di Resta did not set a time in Q3. Schumacher will start eight after coming up with 1:40.662.
It was only the second time after Korea that both the Force Indias secured a top-ten finish in qualifying.
The Silverstone-based team is sixth in the Constructor’s Championship with 51 points.
- Webber secures elusive win in Brazil, Force India end season on a high - Nov 28, 2011
- Vettel claims pole in Hungarian GP, Sutil 8th fastest - Jul 30, 2011
- Di Resta, Sutil to start 11th and 12th in Italian Grand Prix - Sep 10, 2011
- Hamilton takes maiden pole in Korea; di Resta, Sutil 9th and 10th - Oct 15, 2011
- Belgian Grand Prix: Force India disappoint, Vettel secures pole - Aug 27, 2011
- Vettel breaks pole record in season finale, Sutil to start 8th - Nov 27, 2011
- Vettel claims another pole, Sutil sneaks into 10th at European GP - Jun 25, 2011
- Hamilton takes pole in Malaysian GP, Force India disappoint - Mar 24, 2012
- Chinese GP: Rosberg takes maiden F1 pole, Force India out of top-10 - Apr 14, 2012
- Vettel takes pole for Indian GP, Karthikeyan penalised - Oct 29, 2011
- Hamilton wins Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, both Force Indias in top-10 - Nov 13, 2011
- Force India disappoint, Vettel wins Spanish Grand Prix - May 22, 2011
- Hamilton takes pole, Force India out of top ten - May 12, 2012
- Vettel takes pole in Japan, Force India to start from sixth row - Oct 08, 2011
- Vettel takes pole, di Resta 10th in Bahrain - Apr 21, 2012
Tags: abu dhabi, adrian sutil, consecutive victory, constructor, final session, force india, formula one, jenson button, lewis hamilton, michael schumacher, nigel mansell, q2, q3, red bull, resta, s lewis, sebastian vettel, stake claim, teammate, yas