Max Verstappen has taken pole position for the final race of the Formula 1 season in Abu Dhabi. Lando Norris, the championship leader, will start alongside him on the front row, with Oscar Piastri in third.
Red Bull used a clever tactic, giving Verstappen a slipstream behind his teammate Yuki Tsunoda, who will start 10th. This helped Verstappen set a lap 0.201 seconds faster than Norris. He then improved slightly on his own to finish with a time of 1:22.207. Norris moved up from third to second on his final attempt.
Norris leads Verstappen by 12 points and Piastri by a further four. He will become World Champion if he finishes on the podium in Sunday’s night race at Yas Marina. However, George Russell in fourth and Charles Leclerc in fifth could make it tricky.
Verstappen said he is happy with pole and aims to win the race, but will need some luck with other drivers’ results. Norris admitted he was disappointed not to take pole but is focused on winning tomorrow. Piastri also feels he left little on the table, setting up an exciting race.
Fernando Alonso qualified sixth, Gabriel Bortoleto seventh, and Esteban Ocon eighth. Verstappen’s future Red Bull teammate Isack Hadjar starts ninth, with Tsunoda alongside. Lewis Hamilton will start 16th after failing to get through the first qualifying phase for the third race in a row. Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto qualified last in their final race with Renault-powered cars before switching to Mercedes next year.
Sunday’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix promises a thrilling end to the F1 season.
