Live updates from 2025 Abu Dhabi GP
Max Verstappen took charge of the season-ending Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix as he secured pole position on Saturday with McLaren's Formula One leader Lando Norris alongside on the front row and Oscar Piastri qualifying third.
The season finale sees a three-way fight for the title between Verstappen, Norris and Piastri and the Red Bull driver gave himself the best opportunity to complete a stunning comeback and win a fifth world championship.
In a shrewd tactical move by Red Bull, Verstappen was given an aerodynamic tow behind teammate Yuki Tsunoda, who will start 10th, to lap 0.201 seconds faster than Norris.
Norris leads Verstappen by 12 points, and teammate Piastri by a further four, and will be champion if he finishes on the podium in Sunday's race at Yas Marina.
Pole position is crucial in Abu Dhabi, with every driver winning from pole since 2015.
Verstappen had already set the fastest lap on his first go but went even quicker on his second attempt and set a lap time of one minute, 22.207 seconds.
“That was insane,” Verstappen said over team radio after his eighth pole of the season and 48th overall. “Yes. Lovely.”
Norris will win the title if he’s on the podium in Abu Dhabi. Even if Verstappen wins, the Dutchman needs Norris to be fourth or lower. If Piastri wins, he requires Norris to finish outside the top five.
Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton was eliminated from Q1, the first section of qualifying, for the third straight race. He also crashed in third practice due to a driver error earlier Saturday, and has not qualified inside the top 10 for four consecutive races.
“I’m so sorry,” Hamilton said over team radio. “There are no words to express how I feel.”
Mercedes's George Russell - fastest in the second phase and in final practice - is lurking in fourth place on the grid and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc fifth.
"I am incredibly happy to be in first. That's the only thing we can do, we can control, to maximise what we have and what we can do with the car and we definitely did that in qualifying," said Verstappen.
"Of course I'm excited, I'm looking forward to it. I'm going to try to win that race," added the Dutchman.
Norris said he was disappointed not to end the season with a pole but his effort was the best he could do.
"Today when you look at it we weren't quite quick enough," he said. "I still want to win tomorrow and that's going to be the goal."
Piastri, who led for much of the season before suffering a devastating drop off, agreed he too had not left a lot on the table.
"It sets up a pretty exciting day tomorrow," said the Australian.
Fernando Alonso qualified sixth for Aston Martin with Gabriel Bortoleto seventh for Sauber and Esteban Ocon eighth for Haas.
For the third race running, Hamilton failed to bring his Ferrari out of Q1.
It was another nightmare setback for the Briton who has the best record of all at the Yas Marina Circuit with five pole positions and five wins to his name.
He will take some solace, perhaps, from the memory of last season when he finished fourth in the race after again starting 16th on the grid.
