Verstappen takes pole for F1 season closer in Abu Dhabi

Abu DhabiChampion Max Verstappen took pole position on Saturday for the Formula One season closer Abu Dhabi Grand Prix ahead of Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez. The Dutchman clocked 1 minute 23.824 seconds to beat Perez by 0.228 second at the Yas Marina Circuit, where he clinched his maiden F1 title last year. “It was a bit of an up and down qualifying, Q2 was a bit messy, I couldn’t get the grip together. But in Q3 it felt more normal - we had a bit of a scare as the car turned off,” Verstappen said.