Mark Webber takes pole for Sunday’s Turkish Grand Prix

Webber continued Red Bull’s 100 per cent record in 2010 (Photo: PH-stop)

Mark Webber produced a stunning lap to take pole in Istanbul to continue Red Bull’s 100 per cent record in 2010.

The Australian set a time of 1:26:295 to claim his third pole in a row ahead of McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton who was three tenths quicker than Webber’s team mate Sebastian Vettel.

McLaren appear to have the pace of Red Bull over a single lap, but Red Bull have the edge in the fast straights, with Christian Horner also admitting that Webber was flat through the infamous triple apex turn eight.

Hamilton’s team mate Jenson Button had a solid run to finish just slower than Vettel in fourth, while Mercedes GP’s Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg capitalised on a disappointing day for Ferrari to take fifth and sixth.

Felipe Massa got a rare jump on team mate Fernando Alonso to qualify eighth, while Alonso failed to make it to the final showdown with a disappointing twelfth place.

Renault kept up their improvements on the back of a solid race at Monaco with Robert Kubica in seventh, and Vitaly Petrov ninth. Japanese rookie Kamui Kobayashi rounds out the top 10 for Sauber after an excellent session to claim the honour of best of the middle order teams.

At the back was the usual showdown by the new teams not to lock out the back row. Hispania’s Karun Chandhok takes the honour of starting last, with Virgin’s Lucas di Grassi ahead of him on the back row.

The biggest casualty was Force India’s Antonio Liuzzi who starts in 18th after failing to make it through the first round of qually, still complaining of understeer that plagued him in practice.

After a disappointing day for Ferrari, tomorrow’s race should be a straight shoot out between Red Bull and McLaren, although if they can get a good start Schumacher and Rosberg could mix it up.

Despite early weather forecasts predicting a dry race there is now talk of a spot of rain which would make conditions difficult. Expect a number of crashes, and several drivers losing it at turn eight.