Defending world champion Sebastian Vettel completed a third successive Red Bull front row lockout on Saturday when he took pole position for Sunday’s Indian Grand Prix ahead of team-mate Mark Webber.

The 25-year-old German, who is seeking to become the youngest triple champion in F1 history, made an error on his first flying lap in the top-ten shootout but responded with a second effort in one minute 25.283 seconds to clock the fastest time.

It was his fifth pole of the season and the 35th of his career.

His Australian partner Webber did his utmost to match him, but could only deliver 1:25.327 and took second as Red Bull proved they have the overall pace to start as clear favourites.

McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton took third place late in the session to jump ahead of his team-mate and fellow Briton Jenson Button.

The two Ferraris of Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa are on the third row.

Alonso, championship leader for a long period of the season, is now six points behind Vettel and, with four races remaining, needs to deliver a strong result, if not a victory, to stay in serious contention.

But the Red Bulls appear stronger, Vettel having overturned a 39-point deficit to Alonso by winning the last three races in Singapore, Japan and South Korea.

The German also won the inaugural Indian last year at the 5.125km Buddh Circuit, 45km south of New Delhi.