Webber disappointed to be off the pace in crucial qualifying session

A rather crestfallen Mark Webber faced the music this evening in the Abu Dhabi paddock after a disappointing qualifying session. Webber starts fifth behind all of his title rivals.

The Aussie, who lies second in the championship, eight points behind Fernando Alonso, was never really on the pace of his teammate Sebastian Vettel. He was three tenths slower in Q1, two tenths slower in Q2 and then six tenths slower in Q3, when it counted.

"The last couple of minutes (of Q3) were not the best for me," said Webber. "I didn't really have the performance in myself of the car."

Had he reproduced his Q2 form in Q3 he would have been third behind Lewis Hamilton. But he said, ruefully, that" for the first time this season, I looked at the pit board and I though, 'I can't do that lap time.' Everywhere else I've dug in and got the lap. Today I couldn't do that."

Most of Webber's deficit to Vettel is in the second sector of the lap, the one which features the two long straights and the heavy braking for Turn 8. Here Webber set only the 13th fastest sector time, three tenths slower than Vettel. He also dropped a couple of tenths in each of the other two sectors. He was slow out of the hairpin, losing traction onto the straight.

But he was also slower than Vettel through Turn 1 all weekend and was expected to lose a tenth or two there. But the six tenths was a surprise.

It will be very hard for Webber to make up the places he needs in the race, not least because Button's McLaren has a straight line speed advantage.

Starting behind Alonso, he needs to get himself up at least two places ahead of him if he is to have a chance,

"If I finish one position ahead of Fernando it's not enough, that was pretty obvious after Brazil,' said Webber, "I need to finish ahead of him, but also if I don't finish I don't in the championship either. The script is impossible to predict tomorrow."

Webber feels that if he loses the title it will not be because of this qualifying session. "It's over 12 months of hard work, you don't have a chance of winning the championship unless you perform over a whole season, which I have done."