The Dutch Max Verstappen (Red Bull), who has already secured his third world title before the last race of the season Formula 1achieved pole position by setting the best time in the classification of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prixthis Saturday at the Yas Marina circuit.
“It’s very strange because the whole weekend has been a bit difficult,” reacted the Dutchman, who until now had not shone in free practice.
“I don’t have data to know how the car will behave in the race, so we’ll see, but I’m very proud of what was achieved this year,” added Verstapen, who received from Sergio Aguero the prize for having led the classification.
His teammate at Red Bull, the Mexican Sergio Perezwho is assured of runner-up status, was only ninth, seven tenths behind the three-time world champion, who achieved his 12th pole position (the fourth in a row and the 33rd of his career) in a season in which he is breaking all records.
In Abu Dhabi, in a night race (the start is scheduled at 10 in Argentina), Verstappen aims to achieve his 19th victory in 22 races this season.
On Sunday, the Formula 1 star will share the first row of the starting grid with the Monegasque Ferrari Charles Leclercalso surprised by his good result on Saturday.
“Taking into account the weekend we’ve had so far, I didn’t expect this at all, a front line, it’s incredible,” said the Monegasque, who admitted what the Scuderia’s goal will be on Sunday: “Beat Mercedes It’s the only thing that matters to us this weekend.”
With the drivers’ world title already guaranteed for Verstappen and the constructors’ title for Red Bull, the main attraction of Sunday’s race will be the fight between Mercedes and Ferrari to see which team finishes in second position in the constructors’ championship.
The second line will be made up of the Australian Oscar Piastri (McLaren) and the British George Russell (Mercedes), separated by just seven thousandths of a second.
English Lando Norris (McLaren) seemed set for pole position, which would have been the second of his career after the 2021 Russian GP, but his car left the back on the last lap of qualifying. He will start fifth, just ahead of the Japanese Yuki Tsunodathe big surprise of the day with its AlphaTauri.
Although Leclerc will start ahead of Russell, the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton (11th) will have a greater advantage on the grid over the second Ferrari, of the Spaniard. Carlos Sainz (16th).
The Silver Arrows arrive at this last Grand Prix with 392 points, four more than the Scuderia (388), with 44 units to be distributed during Sunday’s race.
Sainz, the only driver to win a race this year without being behind the wheel of a Red Bull, was eliminated in Q1 and will have a difficult time overtaking his compatriot Fernando Alonso (7th with his Aston Martin) in the fight that both maintain to be the first Spanish in the World Cup classification.
With Sunday’s race remaining, both have 200 points, being fourth and fifth respectively.
Source: Ambito
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