ABU DHABI: Max Verstappen grabbed pole position and a key advantage for Sunday’s decisive season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with a scorching late lap to beat title rivals Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri in Saturday’s tense qualifying session.
Red Bull’s four-time world champion clocked a best lap time of one minute and 22.207 seconds to beat series leader Norris by 0.201sec and Piastri by 0.230sec, ensuring that the three protagonists fill the top three places on the grid.
A nervy Norris needs to finish on the podium to land his maiden title while the 28-year-old Dutchman has to win and hope for assistance from others if he is to claim a record-equalling fifth consecutive drivers’ title.
It was Verstappen’s eighth pole this year and the 48th of his career.
The two McLaren drivers were disappointed at the outcome, knowing that the last 10 Abu Dhabi races have been won by the driver in pole position.
“Of course, I am incredible happy to be in first and that’s the only thing we can do,” said Verstappen, who has won four times in Abu Dhabi.
“That was great work from everyone and let’s go out and have some fun tomorrow.”
Norris said he was disappointed to miss out on pole, but he would race to win on Sunday even if his 12-point lead over the 28-year-old Dutchman allows him to settle for second or third.
“Max did a good job so congrats to him,” said Norris. “We did everything we could and my lap was pretty good. We weren’t fast enough today. I still want to win and that’s how I am going into the race.”
Piastri, who is 16 points behind his teammate in the standings, is the outside in the three-way battle for the title and will be more than aware that there hasn’t been a winner off the front row in the last 12 races in Abu Dhabi.
“My last lap in Q3 was pretty good and there wasn’t a lot left in that,” he said.
“Max has looked very quick in the long runs so let’s see how much pace is a factor tomorrow.”
- Hamilton failure -
George Russell qualified fourth for Mercedes ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, two-time champion Fernado Alonso of Aston Martin, Gabriel Bortoleto of Sauber and Esteban Ocon of Haas.
Racing Bulls’ Red Bull-bound rookie Isack Hadjar was ninth ahead of the man he will replace Yuki Tsunoda
Ferrari’s seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton failed to proceed from Q1 for the third consecutive race.
Hamilton was one of the first to clock a time at the start, his Ferrari repaired after a final practice crash earlier, but he finished two-tenths slower than Leclerc to become the first Ferrari driver to record three Q1 exits.
He will start 16th on the grid but will perhaps take some solace from the memory of last season when he finished fourth in the race after again starting 16th.
Alex Albon in the Williams, Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg and the Alpine’s of Pierre Gasly and Gabriel Colapinto also went out in Q1.
They were followed in Q2 by Mercedes’ rookie Kimi Antonelli who exited in 14th along with Oliver Bearman of Haas, Williams’ Carlos Sainz, Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson and Lance Stroll of Aston Martin.
Verstappen was the only title contender with two sets of new softs saved for Q3 and, relishing his moment, he clocked 1:22.295 with help from a tow from Tsunoda, to set the pace, beating both McLaren men on his initial run by three-tenths and four-tenths.
It was a slip-streaming tactic that was not available to the McLarens, unless they used team orders — an advantage that Russell requested by asking to rejoin for his final run behind the Dutchman.
Verstappen, however, needed no assistance and delivered a stunning final lap to take pole, affirming his status as one of the greatest exponents of pure speed.