Formula 1

Max Verstappen clinches crucial pole position at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

3 Mins read
Credit Mark Thompson/Getty Images (Red Bull Content Pool)

Max Verstappen clinched pole position at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in the final race of the 2021 FIA Formula 1 World Championship.

Lewis Hamilton was in second position, 0.371 seconds slower than Verstappen. Lando Norris was in third position behind the two title rivals.

The qualifying session started under the lights with air temperatures at 26 degrees C and track temperatures at 30 degrees C at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi.

The Pirelli tyre choice at this race is the white-striped hard compound tyres (C3), yellow-striped medium compound tyres (C4), and red-striped soft compound tyres (C5), the softest compounds in the Pirelli tyre range.

Q1: Räikkönen knocked out

Max Verstappen was among the first drivers on the track. The drivers went out on the soft compound tyres for their initial runs.

Verstappen went to the top of the time charts with a lap time of 1m23.680s, ahead of Yuki Tsunoda and Sergio Pérez.

Hamilton went to the top with a 1m23.266s lap, 0.414s faster than Verstappen. Bottas slotted into second position, just 0.101 seconds slower than Hamilton.

Verstappen then displaced Bottas as he went just 0.056 seconds slower than Hamilton. Lando Norris ran over a bollard that was knocked out by Mick Schumacher on his way to fourth position.

The session was red-flagged to retrieve the bollard with six minutes and twenty-five seconds left.

In the dying minutes of the session, Hamilton further improved with a lap time of 1m22.845s and Bottas was in second position.

Kimi Räikkönen was knocked out in Q1 in his last Formula 1 race. The Finn was one of the fastest drivers in his heyday.

Q1 dropzone: Nicholas Latifi, George Russell, Kimi Räikkönen, Mick Schumacher, Nikita Mazepin

Q2: Vettel and Alonso Eliminated

Most of the drivers went out on the medium compound tyres as this is the preferred tyre to start the race.

Hamilton set the benchmark with a 1m23.185s lap. Verstappen was just 0.004 seconds slower and Bottas was 0.061 seconds slower than Hamilton.

Tsunoda slotted into fourth position ahead of Norris. Carlos Sainz on the soft compound tyres went to the top of the time charts, 0.011 seconds faster than Hamilton.

Verstappen flat-spotted his tyres as he ran wide and that was not good news as he had to start the race on those tyres.

Verstappen topped the session ahead of Pérez as both Red Bull Racing drivers set their fastest laps on the soft compound tyres.

Q2 dropzone: Fernando Alonso, Pierre Gasly, Lance Stroll, Antonio Giovinazzi, Sebastian Vettel

Q3: Verstappen takes pole position

The last all-important twelve minutes of the top ten shootout started with pole position being contested by Hamilton and Verstappen.

The Red Bull Racing drivers were the first drivers on the track with Pérez leading Verstappen on to the track. Pérez gave Verstappen a perfect slipstream and jumped out of the way as Verstappen posted a lap time of 1m22.109s to take provisional pole.

Hamilton was 0.551 seconds slower as Red Bull pulled a blinder of a strategy on their rivals. Hamilton went faster on his second flying lap but that was only good enough for second position.

Norris finished in third position ahead of Pérez to set the stage for a very important race tomorrow.

Top 10: Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton, Lando Norris, Sergio Pérez, Carlos Sainz, Valtteri Bottas, Charles Leclerc, Yuki Tsunoda, Esteban Ocon, Daniel Ricciardo

2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Qualification Results:

PosNoDriverNat,CarQ1Q2Q3Laps
133Max VerstappenNEDRed Bull Racing1:23.3221:22.8001:22.10920
244Lewis HamiltonGBRMercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team1:22.8451:23.1451:22.48019
34Lando NorrisGBRMcLaren F1 Team1:23.5531:23.2561:22.93120
411Sergio PerezMEXRed Bull Racing1:23.3501:23.1351:22.94724
555Carlos SainzESPScuderia Ferrari1:23.6241:23.1741:22.99222
677Valtteri BottasFINMercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team1:23.1171:23.2461:23.03620
716Charles LeclercMONScuderia Ferrari1:23.4671:23.2021:23.12223
822Yuki TsunodaJAPScuderia AlphaTauri Honda1:23.4281:23.4041:23.22022
931Esteban OconFRAAlpine F1 Team1:23.7641:23.4201:23.38920
103Daniel RicciardoAUSMcLaren F1 Team1:23.8291:23.4481:23.40919
1114Fernando AlonsoESPAlpine F1 Team1:23.8461:23.46012
1210Pierre GaslyFRAScuderia AlphaTauri Honda1:23.4891:24.04316
1318Lance StrollCANAston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team1:24.0611:24.06617
1499Antonio GiovinazziITAAlfa Romeo Racing ORLEN1:24.1181:24.25117
155Sebastian VettelGERAston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team1:24.2251:24.30518
166Nicholas LatifiCANWilliams Racing1:24.3388
1763George RussellGBRWilliams Racing1:24.4237
187Kimi RäikkönenFINAlfa Romeo Racing ORLEN1:24.7798
1947Mick SchumacherGERUralkali Haas F1 Team1:24.9069
209Nikita MazepinRAFUralkali Haas F1 Team1:25.6859
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