Mark Webber is praying for “a nice boring grand prix” as hopes of a maiden Formula One triumph may well rest on the weather.

For the first time in 130 starts tomorrow, Australian Webber will lead away the field at Germany’s Nurburgring from pole position.

Webber today became the first Australian since Alan Jones at Hockenheim in 1980, the year he went on to win the world title, to claim pole.

The 32-year-old rightly hailed it as “a special day”, but much will depend on the conditions as to whether he enjoys another tomorrow in his Red Bull.

Rain made the second period of qualifying chaotic, and with tyres struggling to work in miserable 12 degree temperatures, virtually every driver has found the past two days tough to deal with.

With rain forecast, Webber’s hopes of finally standing on the top step of the podium will arguably rely more on luck than judgment.

“I’ve been close to getting pole a few times in the past, and now we’re here I’m in a fantastic position to get my first win,” said Webber, who has Brawn GP duo Rubens Barrichello and Jenson Button right behind him.

“Obviously the Brawns have had a strong season and will push us, but we’re up for the fight - I certainly am - and I’m up for trying to win my first race.

“A nice boring grand prix for me would be fantastic. I’m looking forward to a dry day, but if it’s wet then we’re ready for all conditions.

“We know we can compete and fight in any condition thrown at us.

“It if rains it will be more difficult, no doubt about it, a real test for the drivers as we’ve seen in Shanghai and other places, but we’ll have to deal with it. It will be the same for everybody.

“But I mean, who the hell thought it was going to be 12 degrees?”

Title leader Button echoed Webber’s sentiments about the appalling weather, which is surprising at this time of year, despite a track 650m above sea level and situated in the Eifel mountains.

“Twelve degrees in mid-July, worse than England,” exclaimed the 29-year-old, who holds a 23-point cushion over team-mate Barrichello.

“Who says English weather is bad? But what we have here is not making it easy.”

The problem for all the drivers is being able to get enough heat into the tyres, an issue that seriously hampered Button’s British Grand prix three weeks ago when he could only finish sixth.

It is not such a worry at this circuit, but it is still making life difficult as he said: “We’re struggling with the tyres anyway, but when you chuck water in there as well, it’s quite difficult.

“Tomorrow is going to be an interesting one. The weather is going to be similar to today - wet and dry - so with a little bit of luck we’ll make the best of the situation.

“The Red Bulls had a big advantage in Shanghai in the wet, but I don’t think that’s going to be the case if it’s wet tomorrow.

“The fact we’re in the top three, we should be happy with what we have done, so we’re in a good position.”

As for Barrichello, still chasing his first win with Brawn GP, the veteran Brazilian knows what is required to emerge victorious.

“I hope it’s experience that counts,” said the 37-year-old.

“If it’s a tricky race like it was a tricky qualifying then we just have to be there at the end, and make no mistakes.”

Webber’s Red Bull team-mate Sebastian Vettel, aside from Button the only other winner of a race this year, will start fourth ahead of the significantly improved McLarens.

World champion Lewis Hamilton equalled his best grid position of the season of fifth, with team-mate Heikki Kovalainen directly alongside him in sixth.

There were further surprises as Adrian Sutil gave Force India their first top-10 grid slot with seventh, whilst Nelson Piquet out-qualified team-mate Fernando Alonso for the first time in 27 races since joining Renault, with the Brazilian 10th and Spaniard 12th.

Timo Glock, meanwhile, was given a three-place grid penalty for dangerously slowing down in front of Alonso during Q1, but as the Toyota driver only qualified 19th, he will either start last or from the pit lane.

A busy afternoon for the stewards also resulted in Red Bull being fine £8,500 for failing to release Vettel from the pits when it was safe to do so as he almost collided with Williams’ Kazuki Nakajima.