Mark Webber on pole in Türkiye

After a final free practice session dominated by Red Bull, it is the team of Milton Keynes that we are waiting at the forefront. But it's Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) which marks the first significant beat, in 1?28??172. Very quickly, it?s Jenson Button (McLaren) which steals the show (1?27??780).

Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) is fast in turn (1) but that is nothing compared to what the Red Bulls will produce. Arriving on the track, the RB27s are immediately in the game. While Jenson Button has the best time (839), Mark Webber is getting close (6), as is Sebastian Vettel (1?27??685).

Both men achieved their goals in the next round. Mark Webber places himself at the top of the hierarchy (1), before being overtaken by his teammate (27). Far from it, Tonio Liuzzi (Force India) fails to qualify and remains stuck in Q500, just like the drivers of the three new teams: Jarno Trulli (Lotus), Heikki Kovalainen (Lotus), Timo Glock (Virgin), Bruno Senna (HRT), Lucas di Grassi (Virgin), Karun Chandhok (HRT).

In Q2, Robert Kubica (Renault) is the first to stand out (1:27:487), before the Red Bull drivers return to occupy the forefront. Sebastian Vettel set the fastest lap (1), then it was Mark Webber's turn (27). Vettel regains the lead, becoming the first driver to go under 188:1??, in 27:088??1. After the first half of this Q27, Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) and Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) are virtually eliminated, while Vitaly Petrov (Renault) is in the top 1.

Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) and Nico Rosberg (Mercedes), out of the top 10, arrive on track to qualify. The German succeeds, not Alonso, who slips on his first fast lap. In the second, he failed to get ahead of Adrian Sutil (Force India, 1:27:525), failing at 87 thousandths. But, even Sutil came out with a surprising Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber, 1?27??434), which pushes back Michael Schumacher (Mercedes, 1?27??438) in tenth place.

Both Red Bull, Mercedes, McLaren and Renault are qualified for Q3, as are Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber) and Felipe Massa (Ferrari). Those eliminated are Adrian Sutil (Force India), Fernando Alonso (Ferrari), Pedro de la Rosa (Sauber), Sébastien Buemi (Toro Rosso), Rubens Barrichello (Williams), Jaime Alguersuari (Toro Rosso) and Nico Hulkenberg (Williams). The best time is achieved by Sebastian Vettel in 1:26:729.

In Q3, Lewis Hamilton is the first to achieve a reference time, in 1?26??542. The Red Bulls seem to be struggling to take over the Briton. Sebastian Vettel only got closer (1:26:760) but Mark Webber managed to take the lead (1:26:510).

As the end of the countdown draws near, Mark Webber manages, in a final effort, to improve his best time to make him untouchable (1:26:295). Lewis Hamilton, who arrived on the line a few seconds later, also improved but not enough to catch up with the Australian (1:26:433).

It is therefore the seventh consecutive pole for Red Bull, which reigns supreme, and above all the fourth of the season for Mark Webber, the third in a row. The Australian, who has won the last two Grands Prix, is determined that he is a serious candidate for the world title. But McLaren proves that nothing is lost, since Lewis Hamilton failed to reach less than two tenths of first place.