Lewis Hamilton credited a "killer" final sector to his final lap of qualifying at Yas Marina Circuit on Saturday for the Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix for taking him to the 83rd pole position of his career.
The world champion set a lap record of 1 minute, 34.794 seconds around the 5.5-kilometre track to stave off his Mercedes-GP teammate Valtteri Bottas by 0.162 seconds and top the times.
It was the Briton's 11th pole of the season and sets him up to try and complete a season that has already seen him clinch his fifth world title in winning fashion.
"I never say there is a perfect lap," the 33 year old said. "The first one wasn't spectacular, there was excursions and movement at the rear end.
"The last sector was the killer and where I was able to make the difference and that is not easy to do."
This is the third time that Hamilton has competed in Abu Dhabi having already clinched the championship.
On the previous two occasions he was beaten to the pole and the win by his teammates Nico Rosberg (2015) and Bottas (2017).
So what was different about 2018 with Hamilton having won the title in Mexico in October, before winning in Brazil two weeks later, the first time he had ever triumphed in a race when he was already crowned champion that season.
"I don't think it was because I couldn't do it in the past, I just didn't do the job," Hamilton said. "I just think this year I think it was being a different place in my life.
"I just wanted to continue to push the limit and the boundaries, and I wanted to finish the season on a solid high so I can keep this foundation as strong as it has been this year."
Hamilton was cheered by the crowd in the Main Grandstand opposite the pit lane when he got out of his car after qualifying and he knelt down and kissed the W09 chassis in appreciation of its role in his success.
"I'm so grateful for all the support we've had here," he added. "It's so emotional for me because it's the last lap I'll do in this car. I've been so emotionally attached to this car."
It was a disappointing day for Bottas, who will become the first Mercedes driver since Michael Schumacher in 2012 to go a season without winning if he fails to triumph in the 55-lap race that starts at 5.10pm UAE time.
The Finn acknowledged that his teammate had simply been faster on the day.
"I was performing well but I couldn't beat his time, he did a great job," he said.
Hamilton is tied on the most wins in Abu Dhabi with Sebastian Vettel, with each having prevailed three times in the past.
While Hamilton will begin as favourite to clinch a record fourth victory, Vettel, who starts third in his Ferrari, said he would do his utmost to pressure the Mercedes drivers.
"I'm looking forward to getting in the car tomorrow for the last time this season and giving it a real go," the four-time world champion said.
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Read more:
Max Verstappen defends kerbing in Friday practice ahead of Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Marcus Ericsson: F1 exit after UAE leads to 'exciting' new chapter with IndyCar
Lowdown on bu Dhabi GP qualifying: Mercedes and Ferrari set to duel for pole
Valtteri Bottas edges out Red Bull pair in tight second practice for Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Weekend - all the latest updates on and off the track
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Kimi Raikkonen was fourth quickest in his final race for Ferrari before he joins Sauber, while the Red Bull Racing cars of Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen completed the third row.
Further back, double world champion Fernando Alonso will start 15th in his McLaren for his final race before he retires from the sport.
He said a strong end to his F1 career – at least for now, with the Spaniard admitting a return in the future is not out of the question – is unlikely in Abu Dhabi.
"My priories are to finish the race to see the chequered flag," he said. "If we can be in the points that will be in the dream, we are five places away now."
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
More from Neighbourhood Watch
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
More on Quran memorisation:
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
The major Hashd factions linked to Iran:
Badr Organisation: Seen as the most militarily capable faction in the Hashd. Iraqi Shiite exiles opposed to Saddam Hussein set up the group in Tehran in the early 1980s as the Badr Corps under the supervision of the Iran Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). The militia exalts Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei but intermittently cooperated with the US military.
Saraya Al Salam (Peace Brigade): Comprised of former members of the officially defunct Mahdi Army, a militia that was commanded by Iraqi cleric Moqtada Al Sadr and fought US and Iraqi government and other forces between 2004 and 2008. As part of a political overhaul aimed as casting Mr Al Sadr as a more nationalist and less sectarian figure, the cleric formed Saraya Al Salam in 2014. The group’s relations with Iran has been volatile.
Kataeb Hezbollah: The group, which is fighting on behalf of the Bashar Al Assad government in Syria, traces its origins to attacks on US forces in Iraq in 2004 and adopts a tough stance against Washington, calling the United States “the enemy of humanity”.
Asaeb Ahl Al Haq: An offshoot of the Mahdi Army active in Syria. Asaeb Ahl Al Haq’s leader Qais al Khazali was a student of Mr Al Moqtada’s late father Mohammed Sadeq Al Sadr, a prominent Shiite cleric who was killed during Saddam Hussein’s rule.
Harakat Hezbollah Al Nujaba: Formed in 2013 to fight alongside Mr Al Assad’s loyalists in Syria before joining the Hashd. The group is seen as among the most ideological and sectarian-driven Hashd militias in Syria and is the major recruiter of foreign fighters to Syria.
Saraya Al Khorasani: The ICRG formed Saraya Al Khorasani in the mid-1990s and the group is seen as the most ideologically attached to Iran among Tehran’s satellites in Iraq.
(Source: The Wilson Centre, the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation)
Ads on social media can 'normalise' drugs
A UK report on youth social media habits commissioned by advocacy group Volteface found a quarter of young people were exposed to illegal drug dealers on social media.
The poll of 2,006 people aged 16-24 assessed their exposure to drug dealers online in a nationally representative survey.
Of those admitting to seeing drugs for sale online, 56 per cent saw them advertised on Snapchat, 55 per cent on Instagram and 47 per cent on Facebook.
Cannabis was the drug most pushed by online dealers, with 63 per cent of survey respondents claiming to have seen adverts on social media for the drug, followed by cocaine (26 per cent) and MDMA/ecstasy, with 24 per cent of people.
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
Vaccine Progress in the Middle East
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Company profile
Name: Steppi
Founders: Joe Franklin and Milos Savic
Launched: February 2020
Size: 10,000 users by the end of July and a goal of 200,000 users by the end of the year
Employees: Five
Based: Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai
Financing stage: Two seed rounds – the first sourced from angel investors and the founders' personal savings
Second round raised Dh720,000 from silent investors in June this year
All you need to know about Formula E in Saudi Arabia
What The Saudia Ad Diriyah E-Prix
When Saturday
Where Diriyah in Saudi Arabia
What time Qualifying takes place from 11.50am UAE time through until the Super Pole session, which is due to end at 12.55pm. The race, which will last for 45 minutes, starts at 4.05pm.
Who is competing There are 22 drivers, from 11 teams, on the grid, with each vehicle run solely on electronic power.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Ruwais timeline
1971 Abu Dhabi National Oil Company established
1980 Ruwais Housing Complex built, located 10 kilometres away from industrial plants
1982 120,000 bpd capacity Ruwais refinery complex officially inaugurated by the founder of the UAE Sheikh Zayed
1984 Second phase of Ruwais Housing Complex built. Today the 7,000-unit complex houses some 24,000 people.
1985 The refinery is expanded with the commissioning of a 27,000 b/d hydro cracker complex
2009 Plans announced to build $1.2 billion fertilizer plant in Ruwais, producing urea
2010 Adnoc awards $10bn contracts for expansion of Ruwais refinery, to double capacity from 415,000 bpd
2014 Ruwais 261-outlet shopping mall opens
2014 Production starts at newly expanded Ruwais refinery, providing jet fuel and diesel and allowing the UAE to be self-sufficient for petrol supplies
2014 Etihad Rail begins transportation of sulphur from Shah and Habshan to Ruwais for export
2017 Aldar Academies to operate Adnoc’s schools including in Ruwais from September. Eight schools operate in total within the housing complex.
2018 Adnoc announces plans to invest $3.1 billion on upgrading its Ruwais refinery
2018 NMC Healthcare selected to manage operations of Ruwais Hospital
2018 Adnoc announces new downstream strategy at event in Abu Dhabi on May 13
Source: The National
MORE ON TURKEY'S SYRIA OFFENCE
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The bio
Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite travel destination: Maldives and south of France
Favourite pastime: Family and friends, meditation, discovering new cuisines
Favourite Movie: Joker (2019). I didn’t like it while I was watching it but then afterwards I loved it. I loved the psychology behind it.
Favourite Author: My father for sure
Favourite Artist: Damien Hurst
How Beautiful this world is!
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
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THE BIO: Mohammed Ashiq Ali
Proudest achievement: “I came to a new country and started this shop”
Favourite TV programme: the news
Favourite place in Dubai: Al Fahidi. “They started the metro in 2009 and I didn’t take it yet.”
Family: six sons in Dubai and a daughter in Faisalabad
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
