FORMULA 1: ABU DHABI GP QUALIFYING

Lewis Hamilton will have to pass both Red Bulls and both Ferraris to maintain his record of winning in every season of his career after Max Verstappen yesterday secured pole position for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Hamilton, who earlier escaped a penalty for a redflag infringement in final practice at the sport’s season-ending race, qualified only fifth.

Verstappen blitzed the field to finish two tenths of a second clear of Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez, with the Ferrari duo of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz third and fourth respectively.

Perez and Leclerc are level on points in their fight for second place in the championship.

Four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel, who will retire after today’s race, qualified ninth.

A year on from last season’s contentious race which cost Hamilton a record eighth world crown, the seven-time world champion has moved to banish the memory of his darkest day, insisting his thirst for the sport remains unquenched.

Hamilton will start the race as the only driver in F1 history to end every season with at least one victory.

But he looks set to lose that record, with Red Bull locking out the front row at a track which suits their all-conquering machinery. George Russell, who qualified sixth, dominated in Interlagos a week ago to claim the maiden win of his career and Mercedes’ first of the season, but, under the thousands of bulbs that light up the Yas Marina Circuit, it was a sobering evening for the Silver Arrows, with Hamilton almost seven tenths adrift.