F1: Vettel on pole for opener

The build-up to this season has been full of twists and turns, with the season due to have started in Bahrain on the 13th, but civil unrest lead to uncertainty over security.

Bernie Ecclestone should be applauded over his decision to suspend the Grand Prix. “Civil unrest is far more important than any sporting event” said leading F1 analyst Eddie Jordan and his sentiments were echoed most publicly by Mark Webber and Alan Parr, the Williams boss.

A potentially career-threatening injury during an accident in a rally car ended Robert Kubica's season before it had begun and Nick Heidfeld was drafted in to replace him. Kubica nearly severed his right hand, as well as suffering arm and leg fractures, and was in intensive care for nearly a week. He is now stable and recovering and the Yorker wishes him all the best for his rehabilitation.

This season also sees a variety of new rules and regulations. Pirelli has replaced Bridgestone as the tyre supplier of the Championship and has already come under criticism for the lack of durability thus far displayed by the new tyres.

Now, during Q1, any driver who fails to set a time within 107% of the fastest Q1 time will not be allowed to compete in the race and there is also a team curfew to prevent overnight work by the engineers on the cars, although each team will be given four exceptions to this rule throughout the season.

This season also sees the removal of F-Ducts or double diffusers, both controversial designs, as well as the introduction of adjustable rear wings to aid in overtaking. This feature will be optional and may be used when a driver is one second or less behind a competitor at pre-determined sections of the track.

The biggest change, however, will be the optional reintroduction of KERS, affording a driver an extra 80 BHP per lap. In order to make KERS a more attractive prospect, the minimum weight cars must come in at is now 640kg.

For the first race of the season tomorrow, Sebastien Vettel, the current champion, will start on pole, after he finished 0.778 seconds ahead of Lewis Hamilton, who was incredibly happy with his car's performance following a disappointing pre-season testing.

Hamilton pushed Mark Webber down into third place, and 2009 world champion Jenson Button will start fourth. The Ferrari’s both struggled, with Alonso in 5th and Felipe Massa down in 8th place, but Alonso claimed that his team had taken qualifying conservatively and that they were happy with their position. Renault’s Petrov and Mercedes’ Rosberg make up 6th and 7th place respectively, with Koboyashi and Buemi completely the top ten.

With his dominant pace and Melbourne’s reputation for not aiding overtaking, Vettel will be aiming to drive a steady race without mistakes. Hamilton will have to pull something special out to pass him, but then again, he has been known to have a trick or two up his sleeve.

Final Grid Positions

1. Sebastian Vettel

2. Lewis Hamilton

3. Mark Webber

4. Jenson Button

5. Fernando Alonso

6. Vitaly Petrov

7. Nico Rosberg

8. Felipe Massa

9. Kamui Koboyashi

10. Sebastien Buemi

11. Michael Schumacher

12. Jaime Alguersuari

13. Sergio Perez

14. Paul Di Resta

15. Pastor Maldonado

16. Adrian Sutil

17. Rubens Barrichello

18. Nick Heidfeld

19. Heikki Kovalainen

20. Jarno Trulli

21. Timo Glock

22. Jerome d’Ambrosio

23. Vitantonio Liuzzi

24. Narain Karthikeyan

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