Vettel in fighting mood

Sebastian Vettel is refusing to give up on his Formula One world title hopes that were effectively wrecked by heavy rain during a chaotic qualifying session for the Brazilian Grand Prix.

Vettel, who needs to finish in the top two tomorrow to have any hope of keeping his slim chances alive for the final race in Abu Dhabi, will start from 16th on the grid at Interlagos.

The Red Bull Racing star, who has had two of his four race wins in the wet, was caught out by the appalling conditions during the initial 20-minute qualifying session.

At a point when the 22-year-old had dropped into the bottom five, his attempt to post a quick lap was thwarted by traffic.

Reflecting on the atrocious weather, Vettel said: “I think I went to the pool not the racetrack!

“Obviously it’s extremely disappointing, but that’s life.

“There was a window where the circuit was quickest and we couldn’t use it. We were struggling with traffic.

“When we had clean air, it started to rain more heavily. It’s a shame.

“There’s wasn’t much missing, just a question of timing. It would be much nicer to start from the front, but we have to accept it.”

With an air of defiance, Vettel added: “We will go out with the knife between our teeth.”

Vettel, who trails Jenson Button by 16 points in the standings, even had the championship leader’s father John expressing his sympathy for the German’s plight.

“I’m sorry for Vettel because I’m a racer too, but I’m happy for Jenson because it makes the job easier,” said John Button.