#F1 #Qualifying: @Max33Verstappen grabs crucial #AbuDhabiGP pole position.

Verstappen Abu Dhabi Pole – Red Bull’s Max Verstappen claimed a crucial pole position in his fifth-consecutive world championship chase at a thrilling Abu Dhabi GP qualifying session ahead of fellow championship challengers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri who completed the top three for McLaren.

This was Verstappen’s 49^th-career pole with the Dutchman using a brilliant slip-stream on his initial flyer to hold provisional P1 then finished with a solid three purple sectors on his final flying lap without a tow to take it.

In Q3, the initial flyers saw Red Bull’s Verstappen the first to register the benchmark of a 1:22.295, as Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto slotted into second with his 1:23.214.

Haas’s Esteban Ocon ended up fourth with a 1:23.431 as Norris moved up into second with a 1:22.751 as Charles Leclerc put his Ferrari fourth after Piastri jumped to second with his 1:22.622 to be 0.327 behind the Dutchman who was on provisional pole.

Mercedes’ George Russell slotted into fifth to end up 0.573 off Verstappen’s benchmark.

The final hot-laps saw Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda post a 1:23.083 to go sixth as Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso slotted into sixth demoting the Japanese driver to seventh.

Leclerc put his Ferrari into fourth with his 1:22.730 effort.

Piastri was next and improved on his final sector to end up second with his 1:22.437 whilst Norris pipped his team-mate to go second by 0.029 seconds as Verstappen went even faster with three purples to grab pole setting a 1:22.207 and ended up 0.201 seconds clear.

Russell on his final flying lap set three personal bests to pip Leclerc to take fourth with his 1:22.645 lap.

Alonso ended up a solid sixth and ahead of Bortoleto who placed seventh and Haas’s Ocon who took eighth.

RB’s Isack Hadjar and Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda completed the top ten.

In the middle segment, which was topped by Russell, Haas’s Oliver Bearman improved on his final hot-lap but just missed out on a Q3 appearance by a slim 0.007 seconds and ended up outside the top ten in 11^th place.

Williams’ Carlos Sainz was 12^th and in-front of RB’s Liam Lawson who 13^th and Mercedes’ Andrea Kimi Antonelli who qualified 14^th.

Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll was the slowest of the Q2 runners in 15^th.

In the first qualifying stage, which was topped by Piastri, a flurry of improvements saw Bortoleto eliminate Ferrari’s Sir Lewis Hamilton out of Q1 with the seven-time world champion missing out on a Q2 appearance by a very narrow 0.008 seconds. The Briton will start 16^th on the grid.

Williams’ Alexander Albon ended up a low-17^th and ahead of Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg who took 18^th.

Alpine duo Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto brought up the rear.

You can see the full Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2025 Qualifying Results Classification at the link: https://www.formula1.com/en/results/2025/races/1276/abu-dhabi/qualifying

2025 Abu Dhabi GP – The Top Three

2025 Abu Dhabi GP Pole Position – Max Verstappen, #1, Oracle Red Bull Racing, Honda-RBPT, RB21 – 1:22.207:

“Track temp comes down, you know you can push a bit more. Incredibly happy to be in first, that’s all we can do right, that’s all we can control.”

2^nd Place – Lando Norris, #4, McLaren Formula 1 Team, Mercedes, MCL39 – 1:22.408:

“It is tough. Max did a good job, so congrats to him. We did everything we could, so I’m pretty happy. Disappointed not to be on pole for the final weekend, but we’ll just have to do it tomorrow. I still want to try and win tomorrow, that is the goal.”

3^rd Place – Oscar Piastri, #81, McLaren Formula 1 Team, Mercedes, MCL39 – 1:22.437:

“The lap I did in Q1 was nice to finally get into a rhythm and the last lap in Q3 was nice too, there wasn’t a lot left in that.”

2025 F1 World Championship Standings