Verstappen on pole as Red Bull lock-out Abu Dhabi front row
ABU DHABI: Max Verstappen outpaced team-mate Sergio Perez to grab pole position for Sunday’s season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix as Red Bull locked out the front row in a closely-fought qualifying session.
The two-time world champion clocked a best lap in one minute and 23.824 seconds to finish two-tenths clear of the Mexican, delighting Red Bull after a week of reported rifts between the two drivers.
Charles Leclerc was third ahead of Ferrari team-mate 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.
“Great job everybody, good team effort,” said Verstappen on his slow down lap. “Well done everybody,” added Perez, the two offering low-key enthusiasm after a stormy week since their ‘team orders’ row.
Lando Norris was seventh for Mclaren ahead of Alpine’s Esteban Ocon and retirement-bound fourtime champion Sebastian Vettel of Aston Martin. Daniel Ricciardo was 10th on his last drive for Mclaren.
Under the dazzling floodlights, Vettel’s father Norbert was conspicuous in his green Aston Martin shirt as he cheered his son from the garage for his final qualifying session.
A full five minutes passed before the ‘big guns’ emerged, Mercedes delaying their entry to exploit a cooling track on a very warm evening with an air temperature of 30 degrees Celsius and the track at 34.