Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull on Shanghai Pole
Sebastian Vettel delivered Red Bull Racing its first Formula 1 pole position with a brilliant last-gasp lap in China, as Jenson Button and Brawn GP’s early stranglehold on the 2009 season was shattered in qualifying.
Even more surprising was Fernando Alonso and Renault’s performance in Shanghai, the Spaniard stunning the grid by joining Vettel on the front row just hours after his R29 was fitted with an interim diffuser.
Mark Webber completed RBR’s best ever qualifying session by claiming third in the second RB4.
All this meant that Brawn was shuffled down to fourth and fifth, with Rubens Barrichello getting the better of championship leader Button for the first time this season to slot in just ahead.
Toyota’s Jarno Trulli claimed sixth in the lead Toyota, ahead of the Nico Rosberg for Williams whose strong qualifying form continued.
Perennial front runners Ferrari and McLaren also appear to be making progress, Kimi Raikkonen claiming an encouraging eighth and Lewis Hamilton making the top 10 for the first time this year.
Rookie Sebastien Buemi completed a banner day for the Red Bull family by rounding out the top 10 in the Toro Rosso.
Hmm, very interesting, & I don’t think these were low fuel glory runs. Cant wait to finf out how much fuel they all had onboard for Q3.
Looks like your thoughts on RB being the second best in the field may hold some weight.
AND the RB does not have a DDD.
But the RB’s and Alonso ARE on light fuel loads. Brawn cars are nominally heavier. The race will be decided by how far each team’s cars can go on the super soft tires, and who decides when to run the spongy sets. RB and Alonso are theoretically set to run the crapola rubber in the first short stint and change for the rest of the race to the harder compounds. I think the set ups of the Brawn’s are also kinder to their tires.
Vettel only ran three hot laps in Q, an amazing feat, but it was an indication of potential car troubles.
Interesting race on all counts.