Malaysian GP qualifying: Pole for Sebastian Vettel as Massa beats Alonso - again

Come rain or shine, there's just no stopping Sebastian Vettel over a single lap in qualifying.

For the second time in a week, the World Champion will start a race with a clear road in front of him after claiming pole position for the Malaysian GP at Sepang. But whereas it was sheer, unbeatable naked pace that earned the record-breaking German top spot in Melbourne, this week's number one owed plenty to cunning and an inspired decision to pit for fresh intermediate tyres as the Sepang track dried out after a sudden downpour mid-way through the qualifying hour.

While team-mate Mark Webber floundered - "unbelievable" was the Australian's terse one-word response to being relegated to a modest fifth place - after misjudging the amount of time left at the end of the session in which to take a final shot at pole, Vettel's clean rubber found sufficient grip to humble the opposition with almost a second to spare.

"Obviously with the circuit drying it was clear it was better to change tyres and we confirmed that pretty early. So I think we did the right thing," the polesitter declared with unintended understatement.

"It's very tricky because you don't know if there's more rain coming or not, but we took the decision, and I'm a bit surprised. I had a decent lap and was very happy."

But the battle at Red Bull won't be the internal strife dominating talk in the paddock on Saturday night. Topic of choice will surely be the contest at Ferrari following the fourth successive defeat of Fernando Alonso by an inspired Felipe Massa as the revitalised - 'reborn' would be another, perhaps more appropriate description - Brazilian claimed his first frontrow slot since 2010.

For Fernando, who will start Sunday's grand prix just behind Vettel, Felipe's recovery is beginning to assume ominous and troubling dimensions. Nobody saw it coming but Massa is slowing but surely growing into a sizeable obstacle in the Spaniard's bid to claim a third World Championship.

"It was a good qualifying for us," said Felipe. "We took the right decision to stop for new tyres."

Given Ferrari's propensity to make fast starts off the line, Vettel might yet also live to regret Webber's misjudgement when a sea of red lines up around his lonely RB9 on Sunday. Expect fireworks into the first corner.