Vettel Finds Right Note for US Grand Prix Pole in Austin

Photo source: Pirelli Photo Service

With two races remaining in the 2013 Formula 1 series, the 22-car field is returning to the Americas to put a period on the season. While Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull Racing is already the established victors for the 2013 season overall, there is still bragging rights as well as important final chances to prove Formula 1 worthiness on the line. A race track debuting on the Formula 1 schedule last year, the Circuit of the Americas is once again hosting a late season United States Grand Prix.

The second time the Formula 1 tour is staging an event weekend on the Circuit of the Americas, the 2012 pole winner Sebastian Vettel's performance on Saturday has allowed the Red Bull Racing drive to remain undefeated in qualifying at the track. With a 1 minute, 36.338 second lap in Q3, the effort is granted Red Bull Racing its seventh consecutive pole position and the team's tenth in 2013. Vettel's teammate Mark Webber secures a front row spot with the second Red Bull-Renault. A little more than a tenth of a second off the pole time in Q3, Webber drove the only vehicles that proved to be a match for Sebastian Vettel at the end of qualifying.

Romain Grosjean will start third on the grid for the United States Grand Prix with his Lotus-Renault. Leading the Lotus F1 Team, Grosjean's profile in the race organization is upgraded with the early 2013 exit of Kimi Raikkonen. Set to partner with Fernando Alonso at Ferrari next season, Raikkonen had has season cut short by back pain suffered during the Singapore Grand Prix weekend. Heikki Kovalainen emerges from his position as a reserve driver at Caterham F1 to race the second Lotus-Renault for the United States and Brazilian rounds. Driving for the first time this Formula 1 season, Kovalainen posted a respectable 9th place result in qualifying at the Circuit of the Americas.

In fourth, Nico Hulkenberg is continuing to impress with his show of speed driving the Sauber-Ferrari in the late stage of the 2013 Formula 1 season. Hulkenberg's teammate Esteban Gutierrez was quick on track but has been demoted 10 places after the qualifying session concluded. Formula 1 race stewards penalized Gutierrez and Marussia driver Max Chilton for impeding other vehicles during the time trial session. At the bottom of the grid for the 2013 United States Grand Prix, Chilton will also have to serve a drive-through penalty.

Mercedes AMG's Lewis Hamilton will start fifth on track alongside Ferrari's Fernando Alonso. Alonso will be fighting to lock up second-place in the drivers' championship. With Raikkonen's season over, Lewis Hamilton could easily promote himself to third place in the standing with nine points. However, Mark Webber is only nine points behind Hamilton ahead of the Austin, Texas race. 

With 56 laps planned for Sunday, the United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas is scheduled to start at 1 pm local time (2pm eastern time)



2013 Formula 1
United States Grand Prix
Race Results

Pos #	Car #	Driver	Team	Engine
1	1	Sebastian Vettel	Red Bull	Renault
2	2	Mark Webber	Red Bull	Renault
3	8	Romain Grosjean	Lotus	Renault
4	11	Nico Hulkenberg	Sauber	Ferrari
5	10	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes AMG	Mercedes-Benz
6	3	Fernando Alonso	Ferrari	Ferrari
7	6	Sergio Perez	McLaren	Mercedes-Benz
8	7	Heikki Kovalainen	Lotus	Renault
9	17	Valtteri Bottas	Williams F1	Renault
10	19	Daniel Ricciardo	Scuderia Toro Rosso	Ferrari
11	14	Paul di Resta	Force India	Mercedes-Benz
12	9	Nico Rosberg	Mercedes AMG	Mercedes-Benz
13	4	Felipe Massa	Ferrari	Ferrari
14	18	Jean-Eric Vergne	Scuderia Toro Rosso	Ferrari
15	5	Jenson Button	McLaren	Mercedes-Benz
16	15	Adrian Sutil	Force India	Mercedes-Benz
17	16	Pastor Maldonado	Williams F1	Renault
18	21	Giedo van der Garde	Caterham	Renault
19	22	Jules Bianchi	Marussia	Cosworth
20	12	Esteban Gutierrez	Sauber	Ferrari
21	20	Charles Pic	Caterham	Renault
22	23	Max Chilton	Marussia	Cosworth