Vettel grabs record-breaking pole

Vettel set his time early in Q3, and looked increasingly safe as the rain steadily became heavier.

In the end his 1:37.555 was enough to keep him clear of second-placed Heikki Kovalainen, while a stunning all-or-nothing lap from Mark Webber got the Australian up to P3 on his final run, edging out Sebastien Bourdais.

While there were celebrations in the STR garage, it was a different story for world championship leader Lewis Hamilton, who had a dreadful afternoon and now faces the task of trying to salvage a result from 15th on the grid.

Hamilton's problems began with a gamble on intermediates early in Q2. It never looked like paying off, but even though the Briton replaced them with full wets, he appeared distinctly uncomfortable with the conditions throughout the entire session and never threatened the top order.

McLaren were not the only front-running team to trip over during Q2. Kimi Raikkonen missed the cut-off and will start from 14th, and BMW's Robert Kubica could manage no better than 11th.

Hamilton's misfortunes will make life easier for main title rival Felipe Massa tomorrow, who will start the race from sixth alongside Nico Rosberg. Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock delivered on Toyota's early promise to end the afternoon in seventh and ninth, bookending Fernando Alonso, with Nick Heidfeld completing the top 10.

Force India recognised the adverse conditions as a chance to get a result, and the team were rewarded when Giancarlo Fisichella made it through to Q2 for the first time this season, the Italian finishing a very respectable 12th.

Both of the Hondas were early casualties, with Jenson Button both failing to make it through the first session.

Nelson Piquet also missed out at the expense of Renault teammate Fernando Alonso, who knocked him back below the cut-off point just moments after he'd pulled himself above it.

Pos Driver        Team                     Q1         Q2         Q3     
 1. Vettel        Toro Rosso-Ferrari  (B)  1:35.464   1:35.837   1:37.555
 2. Kovalainen    McLaren-Mercedes    (B)  1:35.214   1:35.843   1:37.631
 3. Webber        Red Bull-Renault    (B)  1:36.001   1:36.306   1:38.117
 4. Bourdais      Toro Rosso-Ferrari  (B)  1:35.543   1:36.175   1:38.445
 5. Rosberg       Williams-Toyota     (B)  1:35.485   1:35.898   1:38.767
 6. Massa         Ferrari             (B)  1:35.536   1:36.676   1:38.894
 7. Trulli        Toyota              (B)  1:35.906   1:36.008   1:39.152
 8. Alonso        Renault             (B)  1:36.297   1:36.518   1:39.751
 9. Glock         Toyota              (B)  1:35.737   1:36.525   1:39.787
10. Heidfeld      BMW Sauber          (B)  1:35.709   1:36.626   1:39.906
11. Kubica        BMW Sauber          (B)  1:35.553   1:36.697
12. Fisichella    Force India-Ferrari (B)  1:36.280   1:36.698
13. Coulthard     Red Bull-Renault    (B)  1:36.485   1:37.284
14. Raikkonen     Ferrari             (B)  1:35.965   1:37.522
15. Hamilton      McLaren-Mercedes    (B)  1:35.394   1:39.265
16. Barrichello   Honda               (B)  1:36.510
17. Piquet        Renault             (B)  1:36.630
18. Nakajima      Williams-Toyota     (B)  1:36.653
19. Button        Honda               (B)  1:37.006
20. Sutil         Force India-Ferrari (B)  1:37.417

All Timing Unofficial