Sebastian Vettel on pole for Italian GP; Lewis Hamilton apologises after qualifying 12th Vettel scorches his way to first spot in Monza. Picture: Clive Mason/Getty Images Source: Getty Images CHAMPIONSHIP leader Sebastian Vettel will start the Italian Grand Prix from pole position, while Lewis Hamilton's bid for a fifth straight pole ended in disappointment. Vettel has won the Italian GP twice and will be hard to stop after securing his 40th career pole in impressive fashion. The three-time defending Formula One champion will share the front row with teammate Mark Webber. Fernando Alonso needed a strong performance but finished fifth behind his Ferrari teammate Felipe Massa and Sauber's Nico Hulkenberg, who was a surprising third. Hamilton placed a lowly 12th in his Mercedes for his worst performance since last year's Spanish GP, while Kimi Raikkonen also recorded his poorest qualifying run of the campaign in 11th. Hamilton, who won at Monza last year, was chasing a fifth successive pole position but he failed to even make Q3 on Saturday. He said: "I just drove like an idiot. That's the worst I've driven for a long, long time. I'm sorry to the team. Hamilton was third after Q1 but then drove into the dirt before getting caught behind Force India's Adrian Sutil on his final lap. It is his worst qualifying session this season and his lowest position on the grid since last year's Spanish Grand Prix. Sebastian Vettel celebrates securing pole position for the Italian Grand Prix.