The question on everyone’s lips out in Japan is whether Webber will be allowed
to fight for the win on Sunday given Vettel’s title ambitions, and given Red
Bull’s pedigree.
It would certainly be unpopular, a huge PR own goal, should Webber be denied
the opportunity of one last moment in the sun, although it did not sound as
if Red Bull were ruling out team orders. Team principal Christian Horner
said both his drivers would do “the best they can for the team”.
Vettel, of course, defied team orders in Malaysia earlier this year to claim
his first win of the season, a decision that caused a huge furore, and there
is no guarantee Webber would listen should he be asked to make way on
Sunday.
“I think it’ll be fine tomorrow,” the 37-year-old told the BBC.
“We’ll have a standard grand prix. It’s everyone for themselves to get
the maximum result they can. Tomorrow is another day.
“We have to look at getting the best result for ourselves – which means
me winning and the rest is whatever. If Seb can get more points than
Fernando [Alonso], that’s good for him and the team.”
Vettel, who has a 77-point lead in the championship, must win on Sunday and
hope that Ferrari’s Alonso finishes lower than eighth to claim the title
with four races to spare.
Webber admitted it was particularly pleasing to get pole at Suzuka, a real
drivers’ favourite, even if Vettel had had issues.
“You take them [poles] whenever you can get them to be honest,” he said.
“It’s not like they hand them out. Suzuka is the links golf course of
the golf world. Or the big wave stuff for the surfers. It’s a phenomenal
circuit. It was a real highlight for me.”
Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton was the best of the rest and will start third, but
was three tenths of a second adrift of Webber such is the apparent
superiority of Red Bull at this track.
Lotus’ Romain Grosjean lines up fourth ahead of Ferrari’s Massa, who boosted
his chances of a drive next year with what he described as a “perfect lap”,
while German duo Nico Rosberg and Nico Hulkenberg are sixth and seventh
respectively in their Mercedes and Sauber.
Behind Alonso will be Lotus’ Kimi Raikkonen, with McLaren’s Jenson Button
10th. McLaren confirmed before qualifying started that they had succeeded in luring
aerodynamicist Peter Prodromou away from Formula One world champions Red
Bull.
“He’s signed a contract with us,” said team principal Martin Whitmarsh,
without giving any details about when he might start.
Red Bull team boss Christian Horner indicated McLaren could expect a long wait
before Prodromou, head of aerodynamics in Adrian Newey’s design team, would
be free to return to his former employers at Woking.
“The contents of any contract will be confidential between the company and
the individual,” Horner said. “We’ve enjoyed a long relationship with
Peter and he’s a valuable member of the team and there’s quite a duration
left on his contract.
“We won’t force him to stay, if it’s his choice to leave then he’ll leave at
the end of his contract. But we are quite some way off that.”
Final positions after qualifying:
1 Mark Webber (Aus) Red Bull 1min 30.915secs
2 Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Red Bull 1:31.089
3 Lewis Hamilton (Gbr) Mercedes GP 1:31.253
4 Romain Grosjean (Fra) Lotus F1 Team 1:31.365
5 Felipe Massa (Bra) Ferrari 1:31.378
6 Nico Rosberg (Ger) Mercedes GP 1:31.397
7 Nico Hulkenberg (Ger) Sauber-Ferrari 1:31.644
8 Fernando Alonso (Spa) Ferrari 1:31.665
9 Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) Lotus F1 Team 1:31.684
10 Jenson Button (Gbr) McLaren 1:31.827
11 Sergio Perez (Mex) McLaren 1:31.989
12 Paul di Resta (Gbr) Force India 1:31.992
13 Valtteri Bottas (Fin) Williams 1:32.013
14 Esteban Gutierrez (Mex) Sauber-Ferrari 1:32.063
15 Pastor Maldonado (Ven) Williams 1:32.093
16 Daniel Ricciardo (Aus) Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:32.485
17 Adrian Sutil (Ger) Force India 1:32.890
18 Jean-Eric Vergne (Fra) Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:33.357
19 Max Chilton (Gbr) Marussia 1:34.320
20 Charles Pic (Fra) Caterham 1:34.556
21 Giedo van der Garde (Ned) Caterham 1:34.879
22 Jules Bianchi (Fra) Marussia 1:34.958
Note: Charles Pic and Jules Bianchi have 10-place grid penalties
following reprimands from the Korean Grand Prix and Adrian Sutil has a
five-place grid penalty following an unscheduled gearbox change. Pic will
start 20th, Bianchi 21st and Sutil 22nd.
(Edited by Giles Mole)