Nurburgring - Lewis Hamilton secured his second pole position in succession on Saturday when, just a week after his dazzling feat at Silverstone, he did the same again in the final seconds of qualifying for Sunday's German Grand Prix.
The 28-year-old Briton, world champion in 2008, clocked a fastest lap of one minute 29.398 seconds in his Mercedes to outpace nearest rival Sebastian Vettel by one-tenth of a second in a dramatic finale to a tense hour's action.
It had looked as if the Red Bull driver's lap was fast enough for pole as he sought to set himself up for a first win on home soil in the 60-lap race until Hamilton had the last word.
It was Hamilton's third pole position of the season and the 29th of his career, pulling him level with defending triple world champion and current series leader Vettel in the record books.
Vettel's Red Bull team-mate Australian Mark Webber was third fastest ahead of Finn Kimi Raikkonen and his Lotus team-mate Frenchman Romain Grosjean.
In an unexpectedly brilliant display of pace, F1's second Australian Daniel Ricciardo qualified sixth for Toro Rosso ahead of the two Ferraris of Brazilian Felipe Massa and Spaniard Fernando Alonso - the Italian team having changed strategy to run on medium-hard tyres in the third qualifying session.
Briton Jenson Button was ninth for McLaren and German Nico Hulkenberg 10th for Sauber on an afternoon when Hamilton's team-mate, German Nico Rosberg, missed the cut and qualified 11th.
Both Button and Hulkenberg chose not to clock a time in the session as they, like the Ferrari men, opted to go for race strategy instead of grid positions.
Here’s how the cars will start:
1 Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Mercedes 1min29.398
2 Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Red Bull 1min29.501
3 Mark Webber (Australia) Red Bull 1min29.608
4 Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Lotus 1min29.892
5 Romain Grosjean (France) Lotus 1min29.959
6 Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Toro Rosso 1min30.528
7 Felipe Massa (Brazil) Ferrari 1min31.126
8 Fernando Alonso (Spain) Ferrari 1min31.209
9 Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren
10 Nico Hulkenberg (Germany) Sauber - Ferrari
11 Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes 1min30.326
12 Paul Di Resta (Britain) Force India 1min30.697
13 Sergio Perez (Mexico) McLaren 1min30.933
14 Esteban Gutierrez (Mexico) Sauber 1min31.010
15 Adrian Sutil (Germany) Force India 1min31.010
16 Jean-Eric Vergne (France) Toro Rosso 1min31.104
17 Valtteri Bottas (Finland) Williams 1min31.693
18 Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela) Williams 1min31.707
19 Charles Pic (France) Caterham 1min32.937
20 Jules Bianchi (France) Marussia 1min33.063
21 Giedo van der Garde (Netherlands) 1min33.734
22 Max Chilton (Britain) Marussia 1min34.098
Qualifying session 2:
1 Felipe Massa (Brazil) Ferrari 1min29.825
2 Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Lotus 1min29.852
3 Fernando Alonso (Spain) Ferrari 1min29.962
4 Sebastian Vettel (Germany) RedBull 1min29.992
5 Romain Grosjean (France) Lotus 1min30.005
6 Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Mercedes 1min30.152
7 Mark Webber (Australia) RedBull 1min30.217
8 Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Toro Rosso 1min30.223
9 Nico Hulkenberg (Germany) Sauber 1min30.231
10 Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren 1min30.269
11 Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes 1min30.326
12 Paul Di Resta (Britain) Force India 1min30.697
13 Sergio Perez (Mexico) McLaren 1min30.933
14 Esteban Gutierrez (Mexico) Sauber 1min31.010
15 Adrian Sutil (Germany) Force India 1min31.010
16 Jean-Eric Vergne (France) Toro Rosso 1min31.104
Qualifying session 1:
1 Felipe Massa (Brazil) Ferrari 1min30.547
2 Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Lotus 1min30.676
3 Fernando Alonso (Spain) Ferrari 1min30.709
4 Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Toro Rosso 1min31.081
5 Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Mercedes 1min31.131
6 Nico Hulkenberg (Germany) Sauber 1min31.132
7 Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren 1min31.181
8 Romain Grosjean (France) Lotus 1min31.242
9 Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Red Bull 1min31.269
10 Adrian Sutil (Germany) Force India 1min31.320
11 Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes 1min31.322
12 Paul Di Resta (Britain) Force India 1min31.322
13 Mark Webber (Australia) Red Bull 1min31.428
14 Sergio Perez (Mexico) McLaren 1min31.498
15 Jean-Eric Vergne (France) Toro Rosso 1min31.629
16 Esteban Gutierrez (Mexico) Sauber 1min31.681
17 Valtteri Bottas (Finland) Williams 1min31.693
18 Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela) Williams 1min31.707
19 Charles Pic (France) Caterham 1min32.937
20 Jules Bianchi (France) Marussia 1min33.063
21 Giedo van der Garde (Netherlands) Caterham 1min33.734
22 Max Chilton (Britain) Marussia 1min34.098