Vettel taken aback at pole performance

MONZA, Italy, Sept 10, 2011 (AFP) - Defending world champion Sebastian Vettel said he was surprised by his own margin of supremacy after grabbing the 25th pole position of his career in Saturday's qualifying for Sunday's Italian Grand Prix.

The 24-year-old German drove his Red Bull with great speed and precision to claim his 10th pole this year - the first driver since the late great Ayrton Senna to achieve that in different seasons - and maintain the team's perfect record of claming pole at every race this season.

"I had a bit of an improvement in the first run for my second lap," said Vettel. "We weren't sure whether the tyres worked best in the first or second lap, but I did a bit of a mistake but we stayed out and focused on the last run only.

"I knew we had a bit more time in the car, I had one or two cars down the road, which always helps at Monza, but surely we would not think of going for pole by that big margin today on a track that did not suit us.

"This year the car is very good here, the balance is perfect even though for most of the people we don't carry much wing around, so it is very slippery.

"We are quick in all three sectors, so I am happy today. We think we have quite a racy approach so very pleased."
He added that he was not concerned with the team's statistical run, but wanted to score points on Sunday on his way to retaining his title and the team's.

"We had a similar question going into this weekend or last race, I don't know," he said.

"I don't care as well, I think we have to go step by step. This weekend we know it is not easy for us, but so far it has been excellent, the main task is coming tomorrow. "So far we haven't scored a single point but we have put ourselves in the
strongest position. After tomorrow's race we focus on the next one, then we focus on the next one.

"If we have 100 per cent going into last race then we still have the chance to keep that up, but that is not our target, our target is to maximise the points tomorrow."