Red Bull’s double Formula One world champion Sebastian Vettel roared to a record 15th pole position of the season at the Brazilian Grand Prix on Saturday.
The 24-year-old German, who had equaled Nigel Mansell’s 1992 record of 14 in a single season at the previous race in Abu Dhabi, led Australian teammate Mark Webber in a front row sweep for the champions.
“Yes baby, we’ve got it. This feels incredible,” he yelled over the team radio on his slowing-down lap after a dry qualifying session despite the threat of rain.
“I was very emotional when I crossed the line because I knew this was all I had, I gave it all,” he said.
“It’s really special, different to the other poles,” added Vettel, who wrapped up his second title last month with four races to spare, of his 30th career pole.
Vettel was the only driver to lap inside 1 minute, 12 seconds, with a best lap of 1 minute, 11.918 seconds compared to Webber’s 1 minute, 12.099 seconds.
“Obviously it took the master in that discipline, Nigel Mansell, a couple of races less,” Vettel added, mindful of the fact that Britain’s 1992 champion took his 15 poles in a season of just 16 races rather than 19.
“I tried to help old Nigel out today,” said Webber, who has yet to win a race this year despite setting more fastest laps than anyone.
However, he still fancied his chances in the season-ender, mindful perhaps that only twice in the past 10 years has the winner started on pole at Interlagos.
“Seb did a good lap as usual, but my lap was pretty good as well to be honest,” Webber said.
McLaren’s Jenson Button will start in third place, next to fellow-Briton and teammate Lewis Hamilton, after his best qualifying performance at Interlagos in six years.
“Hopefully we can get these two tomorrow,” said Button, who won his 2009 title at Sao Paulo’s ramshackle, but hugely atmospheric circuit.
“A big thanks to the team today. I want to say a big thank you to them for the whole season,” Button said, adding with a smile that he was just saying that now in case something prevented him racing.
The Englishman escaped unhurt from an attempted attack by armed robbers as he was being driven away from the circuit last year after qualifying.
Vettel’s pole meant Red Bull closed out the season with a record 18 poles in 19 races, with Hamilton, the 2008 champion, the only driver apart from the German and Webber to start from the top slot this year.
Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso, Button’s main rival for second place overall in the championship, qualified fifth with Germany’s Nico Rosberg sixth for Mercedes.
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Revelations of positive doping tests for nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers that went unpunished sparked an intense flurry of accusations and legal threats between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the head of the US drug-fighting organization, who has long been one of WADA’s fiercest critics. WADA on Saturday said it was turning to legal counsel to address a statement released by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart, who said WADA and anti-doping authorities in China swept positive tests “under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.” The
Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
Rafael Nadal on Wednesday said the upcoming French Open would be the moment to “give everything and die” on the court after his comeback from injury in Barcelona was curtailed by Alex de Minaur. The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back playing this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well, but eventually crumbled 7-5, 6-1 against the world No. 11 from Australia in the second round. Nadal, 37, who missed virtually all of last season, is hoping to compete at the French Open next month where he is the record 14-time champion. The Spaniard said the clash with De Minaur was