Webber beats Vettel for British GP pole

Silverstone, England, July 10 (bdnews24.com/Reuters) -- Bull's Australian Mark Webber roared back to form and denied world champion team mate Sebastian Vettel a third successive British Grand Prix pole position at a damp Silverstone on Saturday.

It was the team's ninth pole from nine races this season and Webber's second in a year in which he has yet to beat Vettel on a Sunday or even lead a race for so much as a lap.

The German, 77 points clear of McLaren's Jenson Button and Webber with 10 races remaining after Silverstone, extended his run of successive front-row starts to 14 with second place on the grid.

Webber was keen to put the racing back into the limelight after a morning dominated by team meetings, arcane argument about engine regulations, and whether Red Bull had been disadvantaged by a fresh directive before final practice.

"Seb and I just concentrate on the driving," said the Australian, who won last year's race after Vettel took pole, of all the technical polemic on a grey and wet day at Silverstone.

"Every year we have a new thing to talk about, this last few weeks has been about this (the engine and exhaust regulations), so let's hope everyone can find their common ground.

"It's incredibly boring also for the fans. I think they cannot understand 0.1 percent of what is going on. Even for us it is sometimes difficult. Let's get on with the racing and keep the rules as simple as possible.

"From my perspective for tomorrow, I'm in great shape and have prepared well."

CHASING MIRACLES

Vettel, winner of six of the eight races so far, was also quietly confident.

"Tomorrow, anything can happen. I think this circuit is quite tough on tyres, so we see what we get tomorrow," said the 24-year-old German.

Ferrari filled the second row, with double world champion Fernando Alonso qualifying third and Felipe Massa fourth ahead of McLaren's Jenson Button, hoping for his first home podium finish in Formula One.

McLaren's Lewis Hamilton, dominant winner of his home race in 2008, qualified only 10th on an afternoon of changing conditions and with the risk of sudden showers complicating strategy decisions.

"I don't think the position is too bad but the pace is," said Button.

Hamilton was equally disappointed but determined to do his best to put on a show for the fans.

"Of course, for the fans and the public here, we would love to be sitting on the front row," he said. "That is not the case. We will pull back, regroup. Obviously tomorrow anything can happen with the conditions that have been here today.

"Who knows? A miracle might happen tomorrow and we might still get our one-two.

"I don't know about you Jenson, but I'm game," added the 2008 champion, looking across at his team mate.

"Miracles do happen," smiled Button, who won in Canada last month after carving his way through the field from last place and forcing Vettel to make a mistake on the final lap.

One Briton who was delighted with his afternoon was Force India's Paul di Resta, qualifying an impressive sixth for his first British GP.

Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado did a good job for struggling Williams with seventh place on the grid, ahead of Japan's Kamui Kobayashi in a Sauber and Germany's Nico Rosberg for Mercedes.

Further back, Finland's Heikki Kovalainen took his Team Lotus through to the second phase of qualifying and lines up 17th in a big positive for the team.

Australian debutant Daniel Ricciardo will be bringing up the rear with Hispania (HRT) in his first Formula One race.

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