Shaky start
July 23, 2011
World Champion driver Sebastian Vettel could only manage third place in Saturday's qualifying for the German Grand Prix.
The 24-year-old German finished behind his Red Bull teammate Mark Webber, who takes pole position for Sunday's race at the Nürburgring, with McLaren's Lewis Hamilton in second.
It will be a third start from the top of the grid for Webber, with Vettel taking pole in the other seven races of the championship.
Australian Webber took the prime starting position clocking a fastest lap of 1.30 minutes, one-tenth of a second behind Briton Hamilton.
Elusive home win
It was the first time in 15 races that runaway leader Vettel, who is 80 points ahead of Webber, was not on the front row.
Vettel came ahead of two-times champion Fernando Alonso in fourth and his Alonso's Ferrari team-mate Felipe Massa who was fifth.
"It is not a disappointment," said Vettel, who has yet to record a victory on German soil. "I would like to be further up, but it was a tough session. The balance was not right yesterday and although we made a bit of a recovery today, we should have been quicker."
German Nico Rosberg took sixth place for Mercedes, ahead of Briton Jenson Button.
Author: Richard Connor (AFP, Reuters)
Editor: Ben Knight