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Qualifying report

Vettel takes pole in Brazil during tropical rain storm

Qualifying in Sao Paulo for the Brazilian Grand Prix was delayed due to the flooded areas on the Interlagos circuit.

Fernando Alonso, Scuderia Ferrari, Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull Racing and Nico Rosberg, Mercedes GP

Fernando Alonso, Scuderia Ferrari, Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull Racing and Nico Rosberg, Mercedes GP

XPB Images

Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel proved to be the master in the rain delayed qualifying session, as he took pole position ahead of the FIA Formula One 2013 Brazilian Grand Prix tomorrow.

The reigning World Champion was forced to wait 30 minutes until Q3 and the top 10 shootout began, as a deluge of rain covered the Interlagos circuit. The wait was worthwhile in the end for the German, as he secured his 45th career pole position and eighth consecutive one for the team as a whole this season.

Vettel's fellow countryman, Mercedes' driver Nico Rosberg was the closest man to possibly pose a threat on the top spot, but he had to settle for second best in the end and will line up alongside Vettel on the front row of the grid.

Ferrari's Fernando Alonso was the next driver to finish Q3 behind Vettel. The Spaniard crossed the line at the end of his last flying lap to land the final place in the top three as qualifying came to a close.

Fernando Alonso, Ferrari F138
Fernando Alonso, Ferrari F138

Photo by: XPB Images

Vettel's team mate, Mark Webber, was another driver that showed good form in the dying seconds of Q3. The Australian failed to match or go one step further and beat the pace of his team mate when it mattered most though. Webber finished Q3 to qualify in fourth place and will accompany Alonso on the second row of the grid.

Lewis Hamilton also lost out to his team mate, Rosberg who performed better than the Englishman in qualifying. Hamilton completed qualifying a few places down from Rosberg and will begin the race from fifth place.

Lotus Renault's Romain Grosjean looked like one of the front runners early on, particularly in Q3 when he topped the timesheets at one stage. The French man did not manage to maintain the pace to keep up with his closest Championship rivals in the end and qualified in sixth position.

The Toro Rosso duo's gain of making it into the top 10 came at the cost of some of the other drivers in the field, who more often than not get through to Q3. Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne will begin the race from seventh and eighth place respectively.

Alonso's team mate, Felipe Massa is the local hero this weekend as he will take to the track for his home race tomorrow. The Brazilian driver will have a bit of work to do from ninth place, if he has his sights set on a top three position or even victory on home soil.

Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber C32
Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber C32

Photo by: XPB Images

Sauber's Nico Hulkenberg finished qualifying slightly further down than he has been for other race starts recently, as he ended Q3 in the 10th and final possible point scoring position in the race tomorrow.

Beyond the top 10 positions fought over in Q3, the rest of the field failed to make the grade for this and qualified from 11th to 22nd place. As well as the Caterham and Marussia drivers scrapping for position at the back of the pack for the race start tomorrow, they will be accompanied by the likes of the McLaren pair, Jenson Button and Sergio Perez who missed out on a place in the top 10.

Perez ended up worse off than Button though at the end of Q2. The Mexican driver suddenly spun as his car touched the kerb and this swiftly sent him off the track at Turn five and he crashed into the wall. Perez appeared to be unscathed from the incident, but his car looked in need of repair.

Button and Perez will also have the Force India duo of Paul Di Resta and Adrian Sutil nearby in the lineup for the race, as well as Grosjean's temporary team mate Heikki Kovalainen, Hulkenberg's team mate, Esteban Gutierrez and Williams' drivers Valtteri Bottas and Pastor Maldonado.

Following today's qualifying session; Vettel has finished ahead of the rest of the field just like in the Drivers' Championship once again. It remains to be seen whether or not he will add another race victory tomorrow to his ever increasing record and to do so in the final race of the 2013 season.

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