Max Verstappen claimed a stunning pole position ahead of Lando Norris as the F1 title fight goes down to the wire at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
The Dutchman was unbeatable in Q3, setting purple sector after purple sector, with Norris and Oscar Piastri in second and third respectively.
George Russell looked at one stage like he could interfere for pole position, but only managed P4 on the grid.
Elsewhere, Yuki Tsunoda made it into Q3 during his final qualifying appearance with Red Bull, before he makes way for Isack Hadjar next year, giving his team-mate Verstappen a crucial tow for pole position.
Lower down the field, Lewis Hamilton suffered yet another Q1 exit during the final qualifying session of 2025 joining the likes of Alpine and Nico Hulkenberg in the bottom five, following a crash at the high-speed Turn 9 earlier on Saturday during FP3.
Hamilton apologised to his Ferrari team over the radio when he realised he had not progressed to Q2, and said: "Every time, mate. I'm so sorry."
F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix qualifying results
| Position | Driver | Team | Time/Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 1:22.207 |
| 2 | Lando Norris | McLaren | +0.201secs |
| 3 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | +0.230secs |
| 4 | George Russell | Mercedes | +0.438secs |
| 5 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | +0.523secs |
| 6 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | +0.695secs |
| 7 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Kick Sauber | +0.697secs |
| 8 | Esteban Ocon | Haas | +0.706secs |
| 9 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls | +0.8655secs |
| 10 | Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull | NO TIME |
| 11 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | OUT IN Q2 |
| 12 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | OUT IN Q2 |
| 13 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | OUT IN Q2 |
| 14 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | OUT IN Q2 |
| 15 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | OUT IN Q2 |
| 16 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | OUT IN Q1 |
| 17 | Alex Albon | Williams | OUT IN Q1 |
| 18 | Nico Hulkenberg | Kick Sauber | OUT IN Q1 |
| 19 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | OUT IN Q1 |
| 20 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | OUT IN Q1 |
| Finishing Position | Norris | Verstappen | Piastri |
|---|---|---|---|
| P1 | 433 | 421 | 417 |
| P2 | 426 | 414 | 410 |
| P3 | 423 | 411 | 407 |
| P4 | 420 | 408 | 404 |
| P5 | 418 | 406 | 402 |
| P6 | 416 | 404 | 400 |
| P7 | 414 | 402 | 398 |
| P8 | 412 | 400 | 396 |
| P9 | 410 | 398 | 394 |
| P10 | 409 | 397 | 393 |
How does F1 Qualifying work?
The qualifying session is split into three finite windows, which provide a dramatic prelude to Sunday's race.
The bottom five drivers are eliminated at the end of Q1, with a further five eliminated after Q2.
Then, Q3 gives us a shootout between the remaining 10 drivers in the battle for positions at the front of the grid.
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