Records galore for Vettel en route to Indian GP pole
There were records galore as newly-crowned world champion Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull scorched his way to the pole position - his 13th of the season - in the maiden Indian Grand Prix in Greater Noida on Saturday.
There were records galore as newly-crowned world champion Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull scorched his way to the pole position - his 13th of the season - in the maiden Indian Grand Prix in Greater Noida on Saturday.
This was Vettel's 28th pole of his career and 13th this season, putting him just one behind Nigel Mansell's single season record of 14 pole positions, set in 1992.
Vettel is now joint sixth in the all-time standings alongside five-time champion Juan Manuel Fangio.
Red Bull has also established a single season pole record on Saturday by taking its 16th pole of the year.
Vettel also tied the single season record for front row starts on Saturday, with a 16th front row position.
Aryton Senna (1989), Alain Prost (1993) and Damon Hill (1996) all scored 16 front row starts in a single season, but they had 100 per cent records as there were only 16 races those days.
With teammate Mark Webber set to start second on Sunday after McLaren Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton was handed a three-place grid penalty on Friday for ignoring yellow flags during the first practice session, Red Bull will secure the front row for the sixth time this season.
"I am proud to reach records such as Fangio's 28th record. I am not an expert in figures. But it is great to be part of a sport with so many records. I am equalling Fangio's and I am pleased. But I am motivated even without knowing the figures and statistics. Fangio reached 28 poles in 51 races I reached 28 poles in 79 races," Vettel said.