Double world champion Sebastian Vettel Takes Indian Grand Prix Pole

Red Bull's double world champion Sebastian Vettel claimed pole position for the inaugural Indian 

Grand Prix.

Vettel beat Lewis Hamilton's McLaren to pole by 0.296 seconds but Hamilton will line up fifth after a penalty in Friday practice.

Mark Webber was third for Red Bull at the new circuit near Delhi ahead of Fernando Alonso's Ferrari.

Jenson Button will line up fourth after stewards decided not to penalise him for a potential infringement.

Ferrari's Felipe Massa crashed immediately in front of Button and while the McLaren driver was concerned he might be penalised - as Hamilton had been on Friday - for not slowing down, the stewards took no action because he backed off as soon as he could.

"I saw the tyre marks and the smoke but I was already in the yellow-flag zone," Button said before learning of the decision. "I backed off [afterwards]."



Hamilton's hopes of starting on pole for the second race in a row ended on Friday when he was handed a three-place grid penalty for a separate incident involving flags.

McLaren's 2008 champion had set his fastest lap when yellow flags were out to warn the drivers that marshals were on track at the last corner to retrieve Pastor Maldonado's stranded Williams.

Despite his penalty, Hamilton was pleased with his performance: "It's been a good day for me. I'm surprised we could split the Red Bulls.

"The penalty was a silly mistake for myself but overtaking should be easier and I'm still optimistic regardless of where I start."

Button had already put himself on the back foot after dropping to 16th in the first phase of qualifying because of a poor first timed lap.


"For some reason I've got no grip, I'm really, really struggling," said Button, who had to use a new set of the faster soft tyres to climb back up to third, on the pit-to-car radio.

That decision ended up compromising him and he came out for only a single stint on track in the final phase of qualifying to ensure he did not use up too many sets of tyres before the race.

"This morning the car felt good but on the hard tyre I couldn't find any grip or on the soft tyre either," added Button, who will start in fourth, ahead of Massa, because of Hamilton's penalty.

"I didn't really get a clear lap either. I think because the tyres aren't working on the first lap people are backing off and trying again, so there were cars everywhere."

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