Sebastian Vettel earned his third consecutive European Grand Prix pole after Red Bull’s defending world champion posted the quickest time in qualifying on Saturday.

Vettel, winner in Valencia in 2010 and 2011, will be joined on the front row in Sunday’s race by McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton.

The two-time Formula One world champion grabbed his third pole of the season in the final seconds of qualifying to edge out Hamilton, with Pastor Maldonado in a Williams and Lotus driver Romain Grosjean occupying the second row.

Vettel clocked the fastest lap of 1 minute, 38.086 seconds on Valencia’s 5.4-kilometre street circuit.

It was the 24-year-old’s 33rd pole of his career, equalling F1 legends Alain Prost and Jim Clark.

After struggling for pace on Friday, pole position looked unlikely for the young German, but a stunning lap towards the end of the final session secured his place on the front row.

Vettel’s Red Bull Australian teammate Mark Webber will start way back on the 10th row of the grid in 19th place, just behind countryman Daniel Ricciardo on the 9th row.

Webber was eliminated after the first period of qualifying because of mechanical trouble.

Finland’s Kimi Raikkonen in a Lotus and German Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg are on the third row, ahead of Kamui Kobayashi and Nico Hulkenberg, Jenson Button and Paul di Resta on the fifth row, Fernando Alonso and Michael Schumacher, and Felipe Massa and Bruno Senna.

Hamilton leads the drivers’ standings on 88 points from Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso, who failed to make it into Q3, two points behind and Vettel lying third on 85 points.