• Korean Grand Prix - Qualifying

Poor first sector costs Webber

ESPNF1 Staff
October 15, 2011 « Button looking forward to tyre challenge in Korea | Alonso aiming for Suzuka repeat »
Mark Webber ended up 0.6s off pole having not completed a second run © Sutton Images
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Mark Webber said that he aborted his final lap in qualifying for the Korean Grand Prix having had a poor first sector.

Webber was a provisional third on the grid when starting his second run but a slow openingtwo sectors meant he pitted before completing the lap. Webber explained that he made a small mistake early on and then was unable to regain the time he needed so pitted to save his tyres, but was slightly disappointed to see Jenson Button usurp him for third place.

"I lost the rear a little bit on the exit of one and after that I tried to get it back a bit in three and I was down about three tenths or something so you're not going to get that back in the last sector which up until then wasn't too bad on the previous run," Webber said. "Fourth, a shame JB got me at the end there, bumped me on to the left hand side of the grid which is a bit of a shame but we'll see how we go tomorrow in the race."

Despite starting fourth, Webber agreed with team-mate Vettel that tyre wear would be a big feature, but refused to confirm that was the reason Red Bull ran supersoft tyres throughout qualifying.

"Tyres are going to be interesting, there was different strategies in qualifying which was clear for all to see in terms of how they run their tyres in there. Closer to the McLarens than we thought so it was a well fought qualy contest between the four of us. [We used supersoft tyres] just to make sure that we'd get through nice and comfortable."

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