China's Formula One fans are watching a run to remember from World Champion Sebastian Vettel.

Could the German guide his Red Bull to his fourth pole in a row at Shanghai on Saturday?

Vettel lived up to his reputation by setting a time of one minute 33.706 seconds.

He beat McLaren's Jenson Button by seven-tenths and will start Sunday's race from the pole, the 18th of Vettel's career.

Button won in China last year after Vettel also set pole in that race. He will start second on the grid on Sunday.

McLaren team mate Lewis Hamilton ran third fastest. Nico Rosberg produced a fourth place grid position for Mercedes.

Ferrari was still in disarray. Spaniard Fernando Alonso and Brazilian Felipe Massa qualified fifth and sixth.

Vettel's teammate, Australian Mark Webber, will start 18th after having to go into qualifying with problems in his car's kinetic energy recovery system.

Vettel is now perfectly placed to celebrate a fifth straight victory on Sunday, and become the first driver to win twice in China.