(MENAFN- Qatar News Agency) Sebastian Vettel delighted Ferrari with their first pole position in more than three years when he topped qualifying on Saturday for the Singapore Grand Prix as Mercedes' monopoly ended after 23 races.

Four-time world champion Vettel crushed the opposition as he clocked 1 minute 43.885 seconds to finish more than half a second ahead of his former Red Bull team-mate Daniel Ricciardo and Kimi Raikkonen in the second Ferrari, dpa reported.

World champion Lewis Hamilton had to settle for fifth, almost 1.5 seconds behind, and Nico Rosberg was sixth in the second Mercedes on the flood-lit 5.073-kilometres Marina Bay circuit.

Vettel got Ferrari's first pole in 61 races since Fernando Alonso was first on the grid for the Scuderia at the German GP in July 2012.