Max Verstappen has taken the ultimate pole place of the season on the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix forward of title rivals Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
Verstappen dominated Q3, setting two laps fast sufficient to seal his eighth pole of the 12 months, probably the most of any driver in 2025, with a finest time of 1m22.207s. His manner was eased through the use of solely used tires in Q2, making him one among three drivers – none of whom was in a McLaren – to have two new units of softs accessible for Q3.
The Dutchman used them to nice impact, taking provisional pole after which doubling down together with his closing lap with purple instances within the first two sectors. It surprised McLaren, which had seemed just like the staff to beat all through apply, whereas Pink Bull appeared to wrestle with setup.
“I feel that the adjustments [made after FP3] positively helped me a bit of bit extra to really feel higher in qualifying,” he mentioned. “In Q3 round right here monitor temp is coming down, you possibly can push a bit extra, and that’s precisely what we did.
“We discovered a bit extra lap time, and naturally I’m extremely glad to be in first. That’s the one factor that we will do, that’s the one factor that we will management – attempt to maximize every part now we have with the automobile, and we positively did that in qualifying.”
The battle for the entrance row was fought completely between McLaren teammates Norris and Piastri, with the Australian drawing first blood after the primary runs by 0.129s.
A cleaner lap from Norris turned the tables on the ultimate runs, with Piastri’s response falling brief by simply 0.029s However neither may get near Verstappen, with Norris’s finest time 0.201s slower than the reigning champion.
“Max did a very good job, so congrats to him,” Norris mentioned. “We did every part we may.
“I feel my lap was fairly good. I’m fairly glad. After all disillusioned to not be on pole for the ultimate weekend, however we simply weren’t quick sufficient at this time. We’ll need to try to do it tomorrow.”
If the title contenders end the place they’re set to begin, Norris will nonetheless win the championship, needing solely a podium to seal the deal no matter the place others end.
The final 10 pole-sitters in Yas Marina have gone on to win the race.
“The time will come to consider that,” Norris mentioned. “For now I’m disillusioned to not be on pole. I nonetheless need to try to win tomorrow, in order that’s going to be the objective.”
Piastri was happy to have rebounded from a troublesome Friday, having been compelled to overlook FP1 and having ended up off the tempo in FP2.
“It was good to lastly get right into a rhythm for the weekend,” he mentioned. “Actually, I feel the final lap in Q3 was fairly good. There wasn’t a complete lot left in that. It units up a reasonably thrilling day tomorrow.”
The Australian steered that Verstappen could be onerous to beat from pole place.
“We’ll discover out tomorrow,” he mentioned. “I feel Max has seemed very fast within the lengthy runs this weekend, and he’s clearly very fast over one lap. Let’s see how a lot tempo is an element tomorrow.”
George Russell was scrappy on his solution to fourth, 0.438s off the tempo. He was lower than 0.1s faster than Charles Leclerc, who was shocked to make it to Q3 in his recalcitrant Ferrari.
Fernando Alonso was sixth for Aston Martin forward of Gabriel Bortoleto, who ended the season up 12-11 head-to-head with teammate Nico Hulkenberg for qualifying.
Esteban Ocon was eighth in simply his third Q3 look of the 12 months and his first since Monaco in Could.
Isack Hadjar certified ninth in his sixteenth Q3 look, probably the most of any midfield driver and greater than each Lewis Hamilton and Yuki Tsunoda among the many frontrunners.
Tsunoda, who made simply his seventh Q3 look for Pink Bull Racing and his first since Azerbaijan in September, certified tenth and not using a time after being deployed to slipstream Verstappen on the primary runs. The staff appeared to aim to engineer the identical state of affairs for Verstappen’s second lap however was unsuccessful.
Oliver Bearman missed out on Q3 by simply 0.007s and can begin the race eleventh forward of Carlos Sainz and Liam Lawson.
Kimi Antonelli was annoyed to be eradicated 14th, the Italian rookie complaining of a scarcity of grip on his closing run that left him quicker than solely Lance Stroll in fifteenth.
Lewis Hamilton suffered a 3rd consecutive Q1 knockout within the closing qualifying session in a torrid final chapter to his maiden Ferrari marketing campaign.
Hamilton’s automobile was prepared for the beginning of Q1 after repairs following his FP3 crash, and the Briton reported good emotions from the cockpit throughout a quick medium-tire shakedown to confirm the work. However the Briton couldn’t string collectively a aggressive lap on the finish of Q1, when the monitor was bettering quickly, and a scruffy closing sector left him eradicated in sixteenth, simply 0.008s shy of a spot within the subsequent phase.
Alex Albon was knocked out seventeenth for Williams forward of Nico Hulkenberg and Alpine teammates Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto, whose laps in the back of the pack have been consultant regardless of having had a number of laps deleted between them for exceeding monitor limits.
