World champion Verstappen on pole in Abu Dhabi

ABU DHABI - Two-time world champion Max Verstappen and his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez were all smiles again yetserday after locking out the front row of the grid for Red Bull at yesterday’s season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Less than a week after their ‘team orders’ bust-up at the Brazilian Grand Prix, where Verstappen refused to obey an instruction to allow Perez to pass him, the two put on a united front after a clinical display of speed.

The two-time world champion clocked a best lap in one minute and 23.824 seconds to finish two-tenths clear of the Mexican, “I’m very happy that both cars are on the front row,” said the 25-year-old Verstappen.

Charles Leclerc was third ahead of Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz and the two Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, who claimed his maiden victory last weekend in Brazil.

Verstappen’s success brought him his third consecutive pole at the Yas Marina Circuit, his seventh of the season and 20th of his career ahead of a race in which he bids for a record-extending 15th win in a single season.

While Verstappen waltzed away with the world title the scrap for the runners-up spot goes down to the wire.

Perez and Leclerc are level on points, but Leclerc leads on wins. Red Bull have never enjoyed a 1-2 finish in the championship. Leclerc, who wound up third on the grid ahead of Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz, made no excuses.

Mercedes team chief Toto Wolff was succinct in his summary of their feelings after qualifying fifth and sixth with Hamilton and Russell.