The world championship remains finely poised after the three contenders duked it out for pole position at the decisive season-finale Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Max Verstappen scored first blood with pole position in front of his rivals Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri in second and third, but all three drivers know the title will be decided on Sunday and Norris still has the edge.
A competitive and tense qualifying was a perfect curtain-raiser for the race and sets up an unmissable and potentially dramatic opening as the three head into turn one together.
Certainly Verstappen confirmed he would not be holding back when asked about his attitude to the opening corners. “All out, I have nothing to lose,” he said. “For me, of course, I’m going to try to win the race. I’m going to defend. If I need to attack, I’ll attack because what can happen? You’re either second or third or you win. That would be fantastic.”
Norris still holds the advantage at Yas Marina. Leading the championship, he is 12 points in front of Verstappen and 16 clear of Piastri. Norris will claim his debut F1 title and become the 11th British driver to do so if he finishes in front of both his rivals or claims third place or better. Verstappen would need to win and hope Norris finishes outside the podium places while Piastri would need to win and have the Briton finish sixth or lower.
Still, the pressure weighs heavy on Norris. Any contact, damage or errors from the three leaders could change the complexion of the title race in the blink of an eye. Verstappen has repeatedly stated he has nothing to lose, having not even expected to be in the title fight given how far off the pace his car was for more than half the season. So as they hurtle through those opening corners, Norris may be forgiven for staying well out of trouble. He was betraying no signs of nerves, however.
“I’m not too bothered to be the hunter or the hunted,” he said. “Normally, to be hunted is fine because you’re the one with the advantage in the first place. That’s good. And, of course, I would sign for that now. I’m still going to go into tomorrow and plan for how we can win the race, whether it’s on pace or strategy or whatever it may be.”
Norris knows his destiny in his own hands and will leave nothing to chance. But with Verstappen out front, staying out of trouble – even if the Dutchman disappears into the middle distance – will be enough. McLaren have confirmed they will employ team orders if required to ensure one of their drivers seals the title.
The session under the lights was as fascinating as any of the 23 that preceded it this season and it was quickly clear Verstappen had found his touch at the perfect moment. He opened the first runs in Q3, leading the times with two huge opening sectors and with a mighty lap and a tow from his teammate Yuki Tsunoda, he was quickest in 1min 22.295sec.
Norris followed on scrubbed tyres but was four-tenths back, with Piastri three-tenths back from the Dutchman.
The final runs as the track reached its grippiest were tense. The McLarens had new rubber, while once more Tsunoda gave Verstappen a tow. Piastri was the first of the McLarens and had a good first two sectors as did Norris as they looked to the third to make up the time. However, Verstappen too was improving, and he went even quicker at 1:22.207. Norris claimed second two-tenths down and Piastri third three-hundredths back from his teammate.
Bringing the final qualifying session of the season to close with pole emphasised how extraordinary Verstappen’s resurgence in the final third has been. He has five wins in the last eight races and with his eighth pole, one more than any other driver, has been the most successful over the single lap.
By contrast, Lewis Hamilton crashed out in third practice after an element of the car broke, causing him to lose the rear and spin off nose-first into the barriers at turn nine. “Something buckled at the front and snapped the rear,” he told the team.
Ferrari did repair the car for qualifying but the British driver could manage only 16th place, out in Q1 again after he made a small error in the final sector. “Every time, mate, I’m so sorry,” he said to his race engineer.
Another afternoon of toil now awaits him to see out what has been his worst season in F1. He is in sixth place in the championship and has yet to take a podium across the season for the first time in his career. “I don’t have the words to describe the feeling inside,” he said. “[There is an] unbearable amount of anger and rage and, yeah, there’s not really much I can say about it.”
