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Theewis Hamilton put his Mercedes in pole position for the Japanese Grand Prix, while another fatal error by Ferrari left Sebastian Vettel only ninth.
Hamilton, who started qualifying after completing all practice sessions, again delivered the win to Suzuka to beat teammate Valtteri Bottas as Mercedes blocked the front row for a second consecutive weekend.
However, Vettel, 50 points behind Hamilton, will start at the top after his team has chosen the wrong tire in changing conditions.
Despite a few drops of rain before the shootout for pole, Mercedes chose to send Hamilton on smooth rubber, which turned out to be the right choice.
On the other hand, Vettel and his team-mate Ferrari, Kimi Raikkonen, were both on the track with the intermediate tire and had to stop for slicks.
By the time Vettel was ready to perform a quick lap, a rain shower left the German exposed, and after making a mistake when leaving the track at the Spoon Curve in wet conditions, he finished at over four seconds from Hamilton.
Raikkonen was fourth. The shower intensifies and Hamilton will not be challenged. He reached the 80th place of his career.
"Never in a million years I could have reached 80 poles," he said. "(The mistake of Ferrari) adds to the momentum of the championship.
"It's so hard to make the right call, but that's another big difference we've made as a team this year.
"When it comes to being under pressure and making the right calls, that's why we are the best team in the world."
Pennsylvania
Final times after qualifications:
- Lewis Hamilton (GPG) Mercedes GP 1min in 27.760secs
- Valtteri Bottas (Fin) Mercedes GP 1: 28.059
- Max Verstappen (Ned) Red Bull 1: 29,057
- Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) Ferrari 1: 29,521
- Romain Grosjean (Fra) Haas F1 1: 29.761
- Brendon Hartley (NZL) Scuderia Toro Rosso 1: 30.023
- Pierre Gasly (Fra) Scuderia Toro Rosso 1: 30.093
- Esteban Ocon (Fra) Force India 1: 30.126
- Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Ferrari 1: 32.192
- Sergio Perez (Mex) Force India 1: 37.229
- Charles Leclerc (Monday) Sauber-Ferrari 1: 29.864
- Kevin Magnussen (Den) Haas F1 1: 30.226
- Carlos Sainz (Spa) Renault 1: 30,490
- Lance Stroll (Can) Williams 1: 30,714
- Daniel Ricciardo (Aus) Red Bull No Time
- Nico Hulkenberg (Ger) Renault 1: 30.361
- Sergey Sirotkin (Rus) Williams 1: 30.372
- Fernando Alonso (Spa) McLaren 1: 30,573
- Stoffel Vandoorne (Bel) McLaren 1: 31.041
- Marcus Ericsson (Swe) Sauber-Ferrari 1: 31.213
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