Webber on pole for Korea GP

One-two ... Webber and Vettel ensured it was an all-Red Bull front row. Source: Jung Yeon-Je / AAP

Mark Webber snatched the pole position from teammate Sebastian Vettel as Red Bull dominated qualifying for the South Korean Formula One Grand Prix on Saturday.

Driver		Team	Pts
1	Fernando Alonso (ESP)	Ferrari	194
2	Sebastian Vettel (GER)	Red Bull	190
3	Kimi Raikkonen (FIN)	Lotus	157
4	Lewis Hamilton (GBR)	McLaren	152
5	Mark Webber (AUS)	Red Bull	134
6	Jenson Button (GBR)	McLaren	131
7	Nico Rosberg (GER)	Mercedes	93
8	Romain Grosjean (FRA)	Lotus	82
9	Felipe Massa (BRA)	Ferrari	69
10	Sergio Perez (MEX)	Sauber	66
11	Kamui Kobayashi (JPN)	Sauber	50
12	Paul di Resta (GBR)	Force India	44
13	Michael Schumacher (GER)	Mercedes	43
14	Nico Hulkenburg (GER)	Force India	37
15	Pastor Maldonado (VEN)	Williams	33
16	Bruno Senna (BRA)	Williams	25
17	Jean Eric Vergne (FRA)	Toro Rosso	8
18	Daniel Ricciardo (AUS)	Toro Rosso	7
19	Timo Glock (GER)	Marussia F1	0
20	Heikki Kovalainen (FIN)	Carterham	0
21	Vitaly Petrov (RUS)	Carterham	0
22	Jerome d'Ambrosio (BEL)	Lotus	0
23	Charles Pic (FRA)	Marussia F1	0
24	Narain Karthikeyan (IND)	HRT F1	0
25	Pedro de la Rosa (ESP)	HRT F1	0

Webber clocked 1 minute 37.242 seconds for the 5.615km lap on the Korea International Circuit to earn his second pole of the season.

Two-times reigning champion Vettel was unable to better that mark after making a small mistake and being held up by Ferrari's Felipe Massa in his final lap.

Vettel had 1:37.316, ahead of McLaren's Lewis Hamilton (1:37.469) and championship leader Fernando Alonso of Ferrari (1:37.534).

Alonso tops the standings with 194 points from 15 of 20 races, but Vettel is just four points behind after winning the past two races and can reclaim top spot on Sunday for the first time since the Spanish Grand Prix in May.

Kimi Raikkonen of Lotus ranks third on 157, Hamilton has 152, Webber 134 and McLaren's Jenson Button 131.

Vettel seemed a little annoyed with his team that he wasn't informed about Massa but later shrugged off the incident as a "misunderstanding."

"The pole was possible. (But) you can't blame Felipe and traffic.

"I wasn't at my best in the second sector (of the final lap). Now I will concentrate on tomorrow," the German said.

Vettel will go top in the championship with a repeat win in Yeongam regardless how Alonso, who won the inaugural Korean race in 2010, fares, as the winner gets 25 points to the 18 for a runner-up.

"I think second is a good position to start with. There's a long straight after the start so it could be interesting tomorrow," Vettel said.

The second-straight front row for Red Bull underlined the team's current strength and Webber was happy to earn his first pole on the track this season after inheriting it (and winning) in Monaco because of a grid penalty for the fastest qualifier Michael Schumacher.

"I'm happy to get the job done reasonably well. We did it when it counted and that's what it's all about. I'm happy to start on pole, but tomorrow is the main day,'' he said.

Hamilton said he expects a difficult race because Red Bull "have clearly made a very big step'' forward. But there was also disappointment at the McLaren camp because Button failed to make the final qualifying round and will start from 11th.

Ferrari and Alonso were happy with fourth place as the Scuderia has struggled in qualifying almost all season, and they will hope that their good race pace will lift them over the 55 laps on Sunday.

"We have made another step in the right direction in qualifying.

The target was to start from the second or third row at least and we have. Now we focus on the race," team principal Stefano Domenicali said.

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Lorenzo on pole in Japan

Jorge Lorenzo ... qualifies on pole in Japan. Source: AAP

Yamaha's MotoGP points leader Jorge Lorenzo took pole position for Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix after a record-breaking qualifying run.

Lorenzo clocked 1 minute 44.969 seconds at the end of the one-hour qualifying session, smashing the qualifying lap record of 1:45.267 set by Australian Honda rider Casey Stoner last year.

Lorenzo's nearest rival in the championship, fellow Spaniard Dani Pedrosa, posted the second fastest time on his Honda followed by Britain's Cal Crutchlow on a Yamaha.

Pedrosa clocked 1:45.215, 0.246 seconds slower than Lorenzo who claimed his sixth pole start of the season.

Stoner, having missed the past three races due to injury, qualified seventh fastest on his Honda.

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Stoner is a Motegi threat

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Casey Stoner will not retire from MotoGP as world champion, having sat out the past three rounds due to the ankle injury he sustained at Indianapolis, and the subsequent operation.

He is now 104 points behind championship leader Jorge Lorenzo, with four rounds and just 100 points to win.

Pos	Rider	Bike	Points
1.	Jorge Lorenzo	Yamaha	270
2.	Dani Pedrosa	Honda	232
3.	Casey Stoner	Honda	186
4.	Andrea Dovizioso	Yamaha	163
5.	Cal Crutchlow	Yamaha	148
6.	Valentino Rossi	Ducati	120
7.	Alvaro Bautista	Honda	118
8.	Stefan Bradl	Honda	115
9.	Nicky Hayden	Ducati	93
10.	Ben Spies	Yamaha	77

But Dani Pedrosa has 71 points over Stoner, in second place, and the Spaniard has his sights aimed firmly on closing down Lorenzo's 33-point lead to steal his first ever MotoGP crown having won three of the past 4 GPs in his late charge for the title.

Lorenzo and Pedrosa, no doubt, will be calculating points in their heads as the 24-lapper winds down, and who knows what that might mean for Stoner if their concentration lapses.

Having raced bravely to fourth place in Indianapolis, Stoner has to be a chance of a podium at least in Japan. And he may even play a role in deciding the title race should he finish between Pedrosa and Lorenzo.

Valentino Rossi may spring a surprise at the Japanese circuit on the Italian Ducati, the only non-Japanese "main game" players. Acceleration is critical at Motegi, and that's the Desmosedici's strongest point - along with the new frame from Aragon.

Andrea Dovizioso, Cal Crutchlow, Ben Spies, Nicky Hayden, Stefan Bradl and Alvaro Bautista could mix things right up in their season-ending races.

Weather may also have an effect on the race: showers at night; sunny during the day; light-but-gusty winds all weekend, changing direction 180 degrees just before the race - which will affect gearing and braking markers for race.

Stoner's first session back at Motegi went sour after two corners, when his bike stopped.

He jumped the Armco, got a lift back to the pits, went out on his second bike for three laps, then a couple of in-and-out laps, then three more laps at the end of the session put him fourth, 0.75 second behind Lorenzo on top, followed by Pedrosa and Dovizioso.

My bet is that Casey will get quicker as the weekend progresses, as well as being a threat over race distance on Sunday.

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Trade Wrap D5: Rodan, Dawes, Murphy

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We keep you up to date with the latest offers, moves and rumours doing the rounds in the AFL trade period.

The AFL free agency period runs from 9am October 1 to 5pm, October 19.

The AFL trade period runs from 9am October 8 to 2pm, October 26.

Got a whisper? Leave it below.

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RODAN WANTS TO PLAY ON
Delisted Port Adelaide midfielder David Rodan says he is determined to resurrect his career.
New Port coach Ken Hinkley wasted little time re-vamping the Power's list by delisting former vice-captain Jacob Surjan and fan favourite Rodan.
Hinkley also cut Mitch Banner and Simon Phillips and rookies Mitch Curnow, Jarrad Irons and Daniel Webb.
Rodan's manager Liam Pickering said the tough nut was determined to remain in the AFL.
"Absolutely he's going to play on," Pickering said.
"Is there going to be interest from other clubs? I'm very confident there will be."

DAWES DECIDES ON DEMONS
Collingwood forward Chris Dawes will request a trade to Melbourne.
Four clubs have bid for Dawes' services since he announced he wanted to seek opportunities elsewhere.
But the Demons have won the bidding war, narrowly edging out the Western Bulldogs.
Dawes manager Ben Niall said the in demand foward said developing himself as a leader was a key to the decision after he realised there wasn't much "room to grow" at Collingwood - where he still has two years to run on a contract.
Read more here.

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PORT, GIANTS WANT GILHAM
Hawthorn premiership defender Stephen Gilham may find his way back to Port Adelaide - if he is not tempted by Greater Western Sydney.
Gilham, 28, is uncontracted at the Hawks - and considering his options after the arrival of Western Bulldogs key defender Brian Lake in the AFL trade period.
The Giants are a confirmed suitor for Gilham.
And the Power's sudden turn-off with Carlton free-agent defender Jordan Russell has put Gilham in the frame at Alberton, where Port has to strengthen a defensive unit that has lost free-agent Troy Chaplin to Richmond.
It would be a remarkable turnaround for Gilham who was a fisrt-round draft pick (No. 16) for Port in the 2002 AFL national draft, played just one game with the Power (in 2005) and was then delisted.

HAWK MURPHY FLIES COOP TO GOLD COAST
Hawthorn's grand final hard luck story Tom Murphy has signed with Gold Coast Suns through the AFL free agency rules, it was revealed on Friday.
The 26-year-old, who spent seven years at the Hawks, said he was thrilled about his new challenge.
"I'm rapt to be joining the Gold Coast Suns, they're a club with a heap of talent and I can't wait to join the team and help them take their next step."
"I will be forever grateful to everyone at the Hawthorn Football Club, I really enjoyed my time there but I'm now really looking forward to continuing my career with the Gold Coast," Murphy said.
Read more here.

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POWER AND PIES KEEPING TABS ON HAWKS' YOUNG
Port Adelaide have joined Collingwood in expressing interest in Hawthorn unrestricted free agent Clinton Young.
The Pies have room in their cap following Sharrod Wellingham's departure, and the left-footed Young could be the perfect replacement.

BRISBANE SNAP UP MOLONEY
Melbourne Demons have chosen not to match Brisbane Lions' offer for restricted free agent Brent Moloney, paving the way for the 2011 best and fairest winner to move north.
The Demons made the announcement through a press release on Friday morning, allowing the Lions to snap up the 28-year-old on a two-year contract.
Read more here.

CARLTON NOT INTERESTED IN REVOLVING DAWES, DEES CIRCLING
Carlton has quashed suggestions it will reunite out-of-favour Magpie Chris Dawes with his former coach Mick Malthouse in 2013.
Up to three Victorian clubs and Brisbane Lions are said to be interested in the 24-year-old, but the Blues denied a report they wanted Dawes. Carlton claims it has not spoken to Dawes or his agent about a change of environment.
That will please Melbourne coach Mark Neeld, who was convinced the fight to lure Dawes had come down to a battle of three.
"We've also been told that we are one of three, so at the very worst we're a 33-and-a-bit per cent chance," Neeld said.
Neeld on Thursday said Dawes, who has two years remaining on his contract, would be a welcome addition.
Western Bulldogs are also reportedly in for the forward, who is expected to make his choice on Saturday or Sunday.

ROOS DEPARTURES COULD OPEN DAW FOR MAJAK
Untried North Melbourne big man Majak Daw could be catapulted into a ruck role next season as the club ponders offers for two of its other talls, The Herald Sun reports.
The Roos' ruck stocks are set for a shake-up with Hamish McIntosh and Cameron Pedersen likely headed to rival clubs in exchange for draft picks.
North is happy to return to the draft to continue building its young list, though it has shown an interest in homesick Port Adelaide backman Ben Jacobs.
Melbourne is chasing 193cm Pedersen.
While the Roos are yet to agree to either deal, they would put increased responsibility on Daw's shoulders as the club's second-best ruck option after Todd Goldstein next season.
The 21-year-old has not played a senior game since he was selected with North's first selection (No. 9) in the 2010 rookie draft, making him the league's first Sudanese recruit.

McINTOSH EYES CATS MOVE AFTER SURGERY SUCCESS
North Melbourne ruckman Hamish McIntosh has passed a medical examination and is be ready to play by the start of next season, his manager says.
"He's fully recovered from surgery and things are on track for him," Petroro said.
The Australian reports that Geelong are poised to offer the 28-year-old a three-year contract.

SWANS AND CROWS MAKING GROUND ON TIPPETT TRADE
Sydney Swans have finally started tempting Adelaide Crows in a trade for defecting forward Kurt Tippett.
And the Crows may be forced to blink if the deal drags to the deadline on Friday, October 26, while Sydney appears the only club prepared to take the Queenslander - and could get him for free in the AFL national draft next month.
Read more here.

DONS KEEN TO RETAIN SOUGHT-AFTER PEARS
Essendon wants to retain contracted key defender Tayte Pears, despite interest being shown from as many as eight clubs this week, The Herald Sun reports.
The Dons yesterday re-signed David Myers and Leroy Jetta on two-year deals, with David Hille and Alwyn Davey also considering contract extensions.
Pears looked at rock bottom in the last few weeks of the year, unfit and woefully out of form. Yet the Dons believe that, after overcoming internal injuries sustained in a 2010 collision, as well as a navicular fracture, Pears has massive upside.

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