Vettel came out on top, giving Ferrari their first pole position since 2012 with a masterful lap around the floodlit Singaporean track.
The Briton will be toiling flat out on May Day, the international workers' holiday, to deny his German rival a seventh successive win and fourth of the sport's longest ever season.
Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel completed a practice hat-trick on Saturday with the fastest time in a smog-shortened final session before qualifying for a race expected to bring him a fourth successive Formula One title.
The 27-year-old Scot's poor run of form in the second half of the season has fuelled speculation that the Silverstone-based team might drop him and bring back Sauber's Nico Hulkenberg, who has also been linked with Lotus.
Mercedes can hardly wait for Sunday's Abu Dhabi Formula One title decider to be over so they can tie Lewis Hamilton down to a long-term contract.
The glass was half full for Ferrari team boss Maurizio Arrivabene after Sunday's Italian Grand Prix, even if Kimi Raikkonen filled it almost to the brim before sloshing the contents around.
Jackie Stewart, Britain's only triple Formula One world champion, knows his record is on borrowed time after Lewis Hamilton's storming victory in Sunday's Bahrain Grand Prix.
Lewis Hamilton has had more success in Shanghai than any other Formula One driver, which makes Sunday's Chinese Grand Prix the ideal location for the triple world champion to end Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg's winning streak. While Rosberg has started the season with a perfect 50 points from two races, and a run of five successive victories dating back to last November, Hamilton is ready to turn the tables. The Briton has won four times in Shanghai and is on for three in a row after last season becoming the only driver to win the race in successive years. "It's not been a smooth start to the season for me, so to be in the championship position I'm in right now is actually pretty positive," said Hamilton, who lies second in the standings after a second and a third place. "Now we go to China for the next battle. It's a track that's been good to me over the years... so hopefully this race can be the turning point." Hamilton has not won since he took his third world championship in Austin, Texas, last October but the 31-year-old has started both races this season on pole position.
Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton won the Belgian Grand Prix from pole position on Sunday to increase his lead over Mercedes team mate Nico Rosberg to 28 points with eight races remaining.
Triple world champion Lewis Hamilton produced a moment of Montreal magic on Saturday to put his Mercedes on pole position for the Canadian Grand Prix and equal Ayrton Senna's career haul of 65.
Lewis Hamilton will have a chance to equal his childhood hero Ayrton Senna's tally of three world titles. It is a goal that has the Englishman giddy with excitement.
AC Milan's troubles continued when they conceded an equaliser in the fifth minute of stoppage time and were held 2-2 by modest visitors Verona in Serie A on Saturday.
Cristiano Ronaldo shrugged off the boos of his own supporters to fire Real Madrid to a 3-0 win over Real Sociedad on Sunday.
The bilateral talks took place as the formal heads of government meeting got underway in London on Thursday, following a formal launch by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace.
Formula One's 'silly season' of rumour and speculation is heating up.
Electrical gremlins held up Lewis Hamilton in Italian Grand Prix practice on Friday after the Mercedes driver had lapped more than half a second quicker than anyone else in the morning session.
Rediff.com recaptures these and other exciting sporting moments from the week gone by....
Fernando Alonso made a troubled start to testing McLaren's new Formula One car
Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel was first and last in Austrian Grand Prix practice on a Friday that team principal Maurizio Arrivabene will not forget in a hurry after nearly being run over by Felipe Massa.
Rediff reader Reshma Aslam shares some appetizing vegetarian soup recipes for the season.
Antoine Griezmann headed two goals for Atletico Madrid in a 3-1 victory over Levante that kept them on the heels of La Liga leaders Real Madrid on Saturday.
Fernando Alonso would be top of the list for Mercedes if Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton fails to agree a new deal with the team beyond this year.
Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton says he can see something of himself in Manny Pacquiao, even if the Filipino lost the 'Fight of the Century' last weekend.
The British-based Marussia Formula One team reached the end of the road on Friday with some 200 staff told the company has ceased trading and they are being made redundant.
Sebastian Vettel led a Red Bull one-two in Friday's first free practice for an Indian Grand Prix that looks sure to secure the German a fourth successive Formula One title.
Formula One world champions past and present paid their respects to Jules Bianchi and mourned one of their own at the French driver's funeral on Tuesday.
Championship leader Lewis Hamilton put his Mercedes on pole position for the first Russian Grand Prix in Sochi on Saturday with team mate and title rival Nico Rosberg having to settle for second.
The British Grand Prix is set for a record 150,000-strong crowd in July with home hero Lewis Hamilton an even bigger draw after recent setbacks, Silverstone circuit managing director Patrick Allen said on Thursday.
Images from the Laureus World Awards held in Monaco on Tuesday
A round-up of results from the Nations League matches played on Sunday
Formula One's first pre-season test ended in Jerez with Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen fastest.
Next year's season-opening Australian Formula One Grand Prix in Melbourne has been brought forward to March 20, to allow space for an August break, after previously being listed for a later than usual start on April 3.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bangladesh's Sheikh Hasina had a 'very good meeting'
Hockenheim will host this year's German Grand Prix in July instead of alternating with the Nuerburgring, Formula One's commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone told Reuters on Thursday.
Force India Formula One team boss Vijay Mallya feels beating McLaren for fifth spot in the team standings will be a 'big task' in the remaining four races of the season.
Formula One world champion Sebastian Vettel gave a planned new electric series a firm thumbs-down on Saturday, saying silent motor racing left him cold.
Red Bull's Formula One championship leader Sebastian Vettel grabbed pole position at the Korean Grand Prix while closest title rival Fernando Alonso could qualify only fifth.
Dutch teenager Max Verstappen became Formula One's youngest race winner on Sunday in a sensational Spanish Grand Prix that saw dominant Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg collide on the opening lap.
One thing is certain: The part-Goan, part-Malayali group CEO of Air Asia is not your usual boardroom CEO, and he cultivates the maverick businessman image, buying race car teams and football clubs and taking off-beat bets with his mentor and now buddy Richard Branson of Virgin.
Daniel Ricciardo was a surprise third fastest in his Red Bull, the Australian leaping up the order late in the session after sitting out the opening 45 minutes as the team struggled to cool their brakes.
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