( CNN ) -- Call it confidence , or call it arrogance -- but whatever it is , Sebastian Vettel certainly has it . Already 53 points clear in his bid for a fourth consecutive world Formula One title , and seeking his third successive race victory , the Red Bull driver did not even bother trying to set a second lap in final qualifying for Sunday 's Singapore Grand Prix . So assured was the German that he was quickest on Saturday at Marina Bay , a grueling street circuit where he has triumphed under lights the past two years , he sat in the team garage and watched his rivals try in vain to beat his leading lap time . `` It was weird standing in the garage with roughly two minutes to go , '' the 26-year-old told reporters . `` It then became much worse with the others making their final attempt and there 's nothing you can do . '' Interactive : See how F1 lights up Singapore . However , Mercedes ' Nico Rosberg fell just short of Vettel 's one minute 42.841 seconds , with the German clocking 1:42.932 . Lotus ' Romain Grosjean was third fastest in 1:43.058 , and the Frenchman will be joined on the second row of the grid by Vettel 's teammate Mark Webber ( 1:43.152 ) . Webber was fastest in the first sector , Rosberg quickest in the second and Grosjean in the third , but Vettel 's burst in the final section gave him the 41st pole position of his career . `` I watched the sector times closely with Romain , Nico and Mark , but fortunately my last sector was strong enough to stay ahead of Nico , '' said Vettel , who was fastest in Friday 's second practice and edged Grosjean in Saturday 's final warmup . `` In the end it was a great feeling because it could have gone wrong . Yesterday the gap to the others was a surprise , but today was more what we expected . '' Rosberg is seeking his first podium placing since winning the British Grand Prix five races ago in late June . `` Seb has been really quick all weekend , '' the 28-year-old said . `` It was very close in the end . One tenth ( of a second ) more would have been possible , but second is still a good result . `` We 've good race pace and I 'm very confident for tomorrow . '' His teammate Lewis Hamilton , who won the race in 2009 for McLaren , was fifth fastest ahead of Felipe Massa -- who again out-qualified his Ferrari teammate Fernando Alonso . Alonso , the Singapore victor in 2008 and 2010 , was seventh -- while Kimi Raikkonen , who will join the Spaniard at the Prancing Horse next year , will start in 13th after failing to reach Q3 for Lotus as he struggled with a back problem . Alonso , who is second overall , and fellow title hopefuls Hamilton and Raikkonen will need significant improvements on Sunday if they are to stop Vettel extending his lead in the drivers ' championship . It had been reported that McLaren wanted Alonso to return to the team where he had one unhappy season in 2007 , but he said after qualifyingn that he hoped to end his career at Ferrari . `` I 've spent the last four races saying I want to stay at Ferrari and maybe extend the contract when they would like , '' the 32-year-old said . `` We are working very closely on arriving at that situation . To sit together and to try to do it , that 's my desire , and the team has expressed to me more or less the same desire when we talk about this . '' Raikkonen said he would start on Sunday , despite problems with a trapped nerve . `` This morning was very bad , '' the Finn said . `` I could n't really try , so we probably did n't get done what we wanted with the car , but at least we got it on the grid and we 'll see what we can do in the race . `` It was good we drove in qualifying in the end , but it was not that nice . '' McLaren 's Jenson Button qualified eighth ahead of Toro Rosso 's Daniel Ricciardo , who will replace fellow Australian Webber at Red Bull next year . Sauber 's Esteban Gutierrez completed the top 10 , with the Mexican beating teammate Nico Hulkenberg for the first time this year . He will start the race with a choice of tire compounds after declining to set a time in Q3 .
F1 championship leader Sebastian Vettel wins pole position in Q3 . Red Bull star has nervous wait after deciding to post 53 lap in qualifying . Red Bull ' Fernando Alonso comes closest , qualifying second at Marina Bay . Vettel 's closest title rival Fernando Alonso will start second on the grid .