Sebastian Vettel has said that he is happy with the performance of his Red Bull in qualifying at the Malaysian Grand Prix, but has suggested he could have improved his lap time in the final session.

The four-time world champion was edged out by Lewis Hamilton, finishing 0.055 of a second behind the Briton.

Despite making an improvement on his showing in Melbourne, Vettel insists that there is more to come from his car.

He told reporters: "I would have loved to have had a second go – on my first attempt I felt there was a little bit of time to gain here and there. It was very close, maybe too close, as if you look at the margin it was possible to go faster.

"At the end of the day it's good to be on the front row and it should be the good side of the grid for tomorrow – it depends on how our start is, but I'm happy with the result."

Vettel was forced to retire early on during the Australian Grand Prix after suffering mechanical failure.