[ad_1]
Watch the final Grand Prix of the 2020 season on Sunday live only on Sky Sports F1; The Abu Dhabi GP starts at 1:10 p.m. and starts at 11:30 a.m.
By James Galloway
Last Updated: 12/12/20 2:26 pm
2:59
Watch the Red Bull celebrations as Max Verstappen ends his 13-month wait for another F1 pole position for the Abu Dhabi GP.
Watch the Red Bull celebrations as Max Verstappen ends his 13-month wait for another F1 pole position for the Abu Dhabi GP.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen finally achieved his first pole position of the 2020 season in the latest attempt to beat Valtteri Bottas and the return of Lewis Hamilton in an unusual qualifying loss for Mercedes at the Abu Dhabi GP.
In an unexpectedly close duel between Mercedes and Red Bull at the end of a season in which the former has dominated, Hamilton and later Bottas took provisional pole in turn in their final laps, but Verstappen beat them both by fractions of a second through. of an exceptional final effort.
The Dutchman, who had previously claimed only two F1 poles in 118 races, uncorked a final lap of 1: 35.246 to overtake Bottas by 0.025 seconds and third-placed Hamilton by a similar margin of 0.086 seconds.
“I think it will be a bit of a shock for Mercedes,” Sky F1’s Martin Brundle said of the only non-Mercedes pole in the dry this year. “That is the first time they are not on pole here. [Yas Marina] in the hybrid age. “
A “very happy” Verstappen said: “The whole season, back and forth is a bit frustrating. But very, very satisfied with today.”
Lando Norris, meanwhile, had an outstanding performance to take fourth place on the grid on a big day for McLaren in hopes of beating Racing Point and Renault to third place in the Constructors’ Championship on Sunday. Carlos Sainz was sixth in the sister car, with Norris securing overall qualifying honors (9-8) over his teammate who headed to Ferrari for both 2020 and their two years together.
Racing Point, the winners of last week’s crash race ranking third to McLaren by 10 points in the standings, will start with Lance Stroll in eighth place and due to engine changes Sergio Pérez from last row.
But Renault suffered a setback when both of their cars were eliminated in Q2. They are behind Racing Point by 22 points and McLaren by 10 points.
Verstappen, Bottas and Hamilton speak after finishing in the top three positions on the grid after an exciting qualifying.
Red Bull’s Alex Albon had been in contention with the top three after the first few races of Q3, but slipped behind Norris to fifth place. But, in sister team AlphaTauri, Daniil Kvyat kept up his momentum at the end of the season by again beating Pierre Gasly in what will be his last race on the grid at least for the time being.
Kvyat will start seventh with Gasly ninth once a three-place grid penalty hanging from Bahrain is factored into the result of ninth-place Charles Leclerc in leading Ferrari.
With a fairytale ending to his Ferrari career always unlikely this weekend, Sebastian Vettel qualified in an uncomplicated 13th place.
Abu Dhabi Ranking: Top 10
1. Max Verstappen, Red Bull
2. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes
3. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
4. Lando Norris, McLaren
5. Alexander Albon, Red Bull
6. Carlos Sainz, McLaren
7. Daniil Kvyat, AlphaTauri
8. Lance Stroll, Racing Point
9. Charles Leclerc, Ferrari *
10. Pierre Gasly, AlphaTauri
* three-place grid penalty
[ad_2]
