Reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel recorded a record 14th pole by clocking a 1:38.481 in the dying moments of Q3 at Yas Marina circuit, here Saturday.
McLaren`s Jenson Button had just set the fastest lap to almost snatch the pole but Vettel gatecrashed the Briton`s party with a flying last lap.
Vettel, the 24-year-old German, equalled Nigel Mansell`s longstanding record for the most poles in a season. He was followed two McLaren`s racers -- Lewis Hamilton (1:38.622) and Jeson Button (1:38.631). Vettel`s Red Bull teammate Mark Webber was fourth ahead of Ferrari`s Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa.
Mercedes Nico Roseberg, who surprisingly chose hard tyres in Q3, was seventh ahead of teammate Michael Schumacher, followed by the two Force India racers.
Vettel was pleased with his 23rd career pole but said it was not easy to do it on Saturday. "A good result because the car behaved differently between the sessions. In the end, here on this track is very difficult. It is a long lap. It is difficult and tricky here.
"It is basically left-right all the time. There are plenty of opportunity to gain time and a lot of possibilities to have problems," Vettel said after the qualifying session.