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Max Verstappen claimed pole position in the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix of Formula One time trial. The Dutchman is very happy with his first outing this year, but does not expect an easy race and knows that his situation will be further complicated by the fact that Alexander Albon only qualified for fifth place.
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| Verstappen does not expect an easy race (Photo: AFP) |
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Max verstappen He also did the first and third free practice sessions, then approached the Mercedes on stage in the time trial and finally, if not with a huge lead, took the third pole position of his career. The Dutch have thus interrupted Mercedes’ successful qualifying series in Abu Dhabi, which has been written since 2014, and thanks to their priority, a car powered by a Honda engine will be able to start from the front for the first time this year and in the Yas Marina circuit.
“I am very happy that I finally made it! It wasn’t an easy stopwatch as there are a lot of corners you can make mistakes on, however luckily it all came together at the last nail. It was a long season for everyone, with many races in a row, so it feels good to close the final timer for the year in that way and we are definitely looking forward to success. We chased them all season long, and even though we always got closer and closer to them, it was quite frustrating. But now I am very satisfied “- Said the Dutchman, who is still fighting for second place in the individual complex.
In the final seconds of the final qualifying session of 2020, @ Max33Verstappen got his first pole of the season
Get on board for the amazing ride that got you there. #AbuDhabiGP # F1 @pirellisport pic.twitter.com/hm2Mgtnhgx
– Formula 1 (@ F1) December 12, 2020
The second 25 colonels at a disadvantage Valtteri Bottas who did not express any satisfaction after rating. Like he said, he also had tire and balance issues and didn’t even feel his lap was too good.
„Already in the third free practice, we could see how fast Red Bull Verstappen was at the wheel. The main problem for us was that we couldn’t get the soft tires to work properly, I felt much better on the medium mix. Looking at the results, we can see some progress, but we couldn’t get the most out of the tires. I’m not too happy with the nail itself, and the balance of the car wasn’t perfect either “- He summarized and then explained his disadvantage with the aforementioned problem on Friday.
“As we progressed on the timer, I suffered more and more with the front of the car and the decreasing temperature also made the repair difficult. I feel like Red Bull has managed to find the optimal setting for the timer. ” The Finn added 16 points ahead of Verstappent on the individual compound.
The third starting position skips a race weekend due to a coronavirus infection. Lewis hamilton acquired. The Brit, who had come off pole with 86 regiments, spoke in more detail about his illness first, revealing that although he had lost a lot of weight and was not even feeling one hundred percent, he definitely wanted to sit in his car.
| Hamilton also posted on his Twitter post after qualifying, congratulating Versappen and Red Bull: “He wasn’t sure he could be here. I focused on healing as quickly as possible and I am so thankful that I did. May did a great job, as did Valtteri, and it’s great to see McLaren so close. I’ll give it my all. “ |
“I already said in Australia that we must take this virus seriously. I sympathize with those who have suffered from this disease and with those who have lost loved ones in the epidemic. This is quite a nasty virus. I still don’t feel one hundred percent, I still have a strange feeling in my lungs, but I would still drive if one of my arms hung down, that’s what runners do, and thankfully that’s not the case. Physically, this will definitely not be the easiest race of my career, but I will give it my all. ” Said the late world champion, then said a few words about the timer.
„In the first stage, my car was slightly damaged. That’s when I got off the track for the first time over the weekend. There was a little damage to the floor plate, but I don’t feel like I would have gotten the pole without it. Obviously it didn’t help, but the guys did a good job and I’m sure they will fix it for the race. ”
Red Bull Team Leader, Christian horner he made a statement of satisfaction after qualifying for Abu Dhabi and betrayed that he was a bit surprised by the start as they were ready for the usual third place.
„We’ve been sitting in that particular third-position chair so many times this year. Max specifically took it home with him after Thursday’s press conference. It made a brilliant circle, but it was still very tight, with less than a tenth separating the top three. Last week I was very disappointed that he got out of the start and it was great that now he has managed to gather such a circle “- He highlighted and also explained why it is of great importance that he managed to catch the first starting bucket for the first time this year.
Max, we’re going to need that backup buddy. https://t.co/PelkjI8eVj
– Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@ MercedesAMGF1) December 12, 2020
“This pole is important, on the one hand, for the team that worked very hard all year to improve the car, and on the other hand, for Honda and Max, who are having a very strong year and making the most of the car. It means a lot to win pole at the last grand prix, but it would be even more important to turn that into a great result. “
„We can always count on Max. You know that you will add everything up and that you can surprise at any time. He did the same today. Before the stopwatch, I thought we would be third again, as you can see from the team’s reaction. We’ve worked really hard all year, nine of the top ten fastest boxing saves so far this year are named after us, which is quite remarkable. And with the reliability of Honda, it feels great when you put it all together. ” He said enthusiastically.
While Verstappen can look forward to the final race of the season from the lead, the fight Alexander Albon He was fifth, and he will be able to start on soft tires unlike the Dutchman. Nonetheless, the Thai feels he has met one of his strongest qualifications.
„It wasn’t that bad, I feel like now I’m perhaps the most competitive this year. I’m a bit disappointed in my second nail because I was doing really well up until then. However, in the end I pushed too hard and the tires didn’t hold any longer. It was a good feeling to drive the car anyway, and we were close enough to each other. ” He explained, then added that he was a bit frustrated being only fifth as he had had a pretty strong weekend so far but was hoping he could get a better result in the race.
A Red Bull He is expected to make a decision on next year’s driver lineup in the days after the race. Albon may be replaced by Sergio Pérez and possibly Nico Hülkenberg, and if the Tahitian fails to keep his seat, he will surely be expelled from the 2021 field, as it is an open secret that he AlphaTaurinál Cunoda Juki will replace Danyiil Kvjat and will be the teammate of the already announced Pierre Gasly.
Horner He also covered his performance in Thailand and said he was confident that his driver could have a good race.
Verstappen However, he was no longer too excited about the location of his brand partner, he feels a disadvantage for him because Thailand is so far away from him.
„Mercedes will be super fast in the race, just because we won first place doesn’t mean we will get an easy victory. There will be the two Mercedes behind me who may even try a different strategy, and then there is McLaren, so I don’t have a quarterback at all.
| 1. | Max verstappen | Holland | Red Bull-Honda | 1: 35,246 | average: 6.6 km / h |
| 2. | Valtteri Bottas | Finnish | Mercedes | 1: 35.271 | 0.025 mp h. |
| 3. | Lewis hamilton | brit | Mercedes | 1: 35,332 | 0.086 |
| Four. | Lando norris | brit | McLaren-Renault | 1: 35.497 | 0.251 |
| 5. | Alexander Albon | Thai | Red Bull-Honda | 1: 35.571 | 0.325 |
| 6. | Carlos Sainz | Spanish | McLaren-Renault | 1: 35,815 | 0.569 |
| 7. | Danyiil Kvjat | Russian | AlphaTauri-Honda | 1: 35,963 | 0.717 |
| 8. | Walk Lance | Canadian | Racing Point-Mercedes | 1: 36.046 | 0.800 |
| 9. | Charles Leclerc * | Monaco | Ferrari | 1: 36.065 | 0.819 |
| 10. | Pierre Gasly | France | AlphaTauri-Honda | 1: 36,242 | 0.996 |
| eleven. | Esteban Ocón | France | Renault | 1: 36,359 | 0.893 |
| 12. | Daniel Ricciardo | Australian | Renault | 1: 36.406 | 0.940 |
| 13. | Sebastian Vettel | German | Ferrari | 1: 36,631 | 1,165 |
| 14. | Antonio Giovinazzi | Italian | Alfa Romeo-Ferrari | 1: 38.248 | 2,782 |
| fifteen. | Sergio Perez ** | Mexican | Racing Point-Mercedes | no time | |
| sixteen. | Kimi raikkonen | Finnish | Alfa Romeo-Ferrari | 1: 37.555 | 2,027 |
| 17. | Kevin Magnussen ** | paste | Haas-Ferrari | 1: 37,863 | 2,335 |
| 18. | George Russell | brit | Williams-Mercedes | 1: 38.045 | 2,517 |
| 19. | Pietro Fittipaldi | Brazil | Haas-Ferrari | 1: 38.173 | 2,645 |
| twenty. | Nicholas latifi | Canadian | Williams-Mercedes | 1: 38,443 | 2,915 |
| *: 3 starting penalties per accident at the Sahir Grand Prix. **: reclassified to end of field due to engine battery replacement. |
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| SECTION 1 | SECTION 2 | ||||
| 1. | Hamilton | 1: 35,528 | 1. | Hamilton | 1: 35,466 |
| 2. | Bottas | 1: 35,699 | 2. | Bottas | 1: 35.527 |
| 3. | Leclerc | 1: 35.881 | 3. | Verstappen | 1: 35,641 |
| Four. | Verstappen | 1: 35,993 | Four. | Albon | 1: 35.654 |
| 5. | Norris | 1: 36.016 | 5. | Norris | 1: 35,849 |
| 6. | Perez | 1: 36.034 | 6. | Leclerc | 1: 35,932 |
| 7. | Albon | 1: 36,106 | 7. | Walk | 1: 36.143 |
| 8. | Kvjat | 1: 36,459 | 8. | Sainz | 1: 36.192 |
| 9. | Walk | 1: 36.502 | 9. | Kvjat | 1: 36,214 |
| 10. | Sainz | 1: 36,517 | 10. | Gasly | 1: 36.282 |
| eleven. | Gasly | 1: 36.545 | eleven. | Or with | 1: 36,359 |
| 12. | Vettel | 1: 36,655 | 12. | Ricciardo | 1: 36.406 |
| 13. | Ricciardo | 1: 36,704 | 13. | Vettel | 1: 36,631 |
| 14. | Or with | 1: 36,783 | 14. | Giovinazzi | 1: 38.248 |
| fifteen. | Giovinazzi | 1: 37.075 | fifteen. | Perez | no time |
| sixteen. | Raikkonen | 1: 37.555 | |||
| 17. | Magnussen | 1: 37,863 | |||
| 18. | Russell | 1: 38.045 | |||
| 19. | Fittipaldi | 1: 38.173 | |||
| twenty. | Latifi | 1: 38,443 | |||
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