Norris heads McLaren 1-2 for pole in season-ending Abu Dhabi F1 GP

Lando Norris secured pole position ahead of Oscar Piastri as McLaren reeled off a dominant 1-2 to move within reach of a first teams’ title since 1998 at Sunday’s decisive season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

In an eventful Saturday qualifying session where seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton was unluckily eliminated in Q1 in his final weekend with Mercedes, Norris topped the times in one minute and 22.595 seconds to outpace Piastri by three-tenths of a second.

Carlos Sainz, in his final weekend with Ferrari before leaving to join Williams, was third, 0.020 seconds behind Piastri as McLaren reeled off their third front row lockout of the season.

Ferrari need to overhaul a 21-point deficit to take the constructors’ title ahead of McLaren, but suffered a blow when Charles Leclerc was eliminated in Q2 and, with a 10-place grid penalty, he will start from the back of the grid on Sunday.

Nico Hulkenberg qualified fourth for Haas ahead of newly-crowned four-time world champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull, Pierre Gasly of Alpine and Mercedes’ George Russell.

Two-time champion Fernando Alonso was eighth for Aston Martin, 24 hours after describing his car as “the worst ever”, ahead of Valtteri Bottas of Sauber and Sergio Perez in the second Red Bull.

“A perfect day for us,” said Norris who secured his eighth pole of the season.

“Probably a little tougher than before as we’ve been strong all weekend. My lap was strong too so it was just what we wanted from today.”

Lance Stroll was first out for Q1 in his Aston Martin as the sun set over the Yas Marina Circuit in clear conditions and temperatures of 25 (air) and (30) track, near perfect for the unprecedented 24th and final qualifying of the year.

After scrubbed laps for exceeding track limits by Perez and Franco Colapinto, Sainz went top as the Mexican’s lap was reinstated and Bottas took command shortly before Hamilton, on a desperate late lap, failed to make it.

He was eliminated in Q1 for the third time in his final six races before leaving Mercedes for Ferrari and in his 246th and final outing for the ‘Silver Arrows’.

“I messed that up big time guys,” a crestfallen Hamilton conceded on the team radio. “That was bad,” he added.

Hamilton’s demise came after he picked up a bollard - flicked into his path by Kevin Magnussen’s Haas - that was stuck under his car, creating imbalance and loss of pace.

After a record 104 pole positions, 78 with Mercedes, it was a sad qualifying finale for the seven-time champion before his move to Ferrari - and on a circuit where he has taken a record five poles.

In another incident, Russell was seen to run off track to avoid baulking Liam Lawson on a flying lap.

After much swearing on the RB radio channel, the stewards investigated and took no further action, a baffling decision a week after a similar issue had initiated Russell’s promotion to pole in Qatar where Verstappen was penalised.

Verstappen set the Q2 pace with an early lap in 1:22.998 and chose to relax as his rivals took second runs - Leclerc going top before his lap was deleted for track limits at Turn One.

This meant he qualified 14th but his penalty means he will start Sunday’s race at the back of the grid - a massive setback for Ferrari in their bid to overhaul McLaren. McLaren are 21 points clear of Ferrari in the battle for the constructors’ title.

Meanwhile, Yas Heat Racing Ambassador and Mumbai Falcons Racing’s Rashid Al Dhaheri took the chequered flag at Yas Marina Circuit - and the fastest lap with a time of 1:56.846 - in the first race of the Formula 4 Middle East Trophy Round.

The Evans GP duo of Francot and Daryanani claimed P2 and P3, followed by Yas Heat Racing’s August Raber in fourth.

The 13-lap session saw the safety car deployed after Meng Cheng spun off, as well as Emily Cotty making an unexpected pit stop with a puncture, which left the British driver with an uphill task to make an impact. The 22 drivers will return for the second race of the F4 Middle East Trophy Round at 9:45am on Sunday.

Earlier, Ferrari had to change the battery pack on Leclerc’s car on Friday in the first practice session for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Agencies

Lando Norris secured pole position ahead of Oscar Piastri as McLaren reeled off a dominant 1-2 to move within reach of a first teams’ title since 1998 at Sunday’s decisive season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

In an eventful Saturday qualifying session where seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton was unluckily eliminated in Q1 in his final weekend with Mercedes, Norris topped the times in one minute and 22.595 seconds to outpace Piastri by three-tenths of a second.

Carlos Sainz, in his final weekend with Ferrari before leaving to join Williams, was third, 0.020 seconds behind Piastri as McLaren reeled off their third front row lockout of the season.

Ferrari need to overhaul a 21-point deficit to take the constructors’ title ahead of McLaren, but suffered a blow when Charles Leclerc was eliminated in Q2 and, with a 10-place grid penalty, he will start from the back of the grid on Sunday.

Nico Hulkenberg qualified fourth for Haas ahead of newly-crowned four-time world champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull, Pierre Gasly of Alpine and Mercedes’ George Russell.

Two-time champion Fernando Alonso was eighth for Aston Martin, 24 hours after describing his car as “the worst ever”, ahead of Valtteri Bottas of Sauber and Sergio Perez in the second Red Bull.

“A perfect day for us,” said Norris who secured his eighth pole of the season.

“Probably a little tougher than before as we’ve been strong all weekend. My lap was strong too so it was just what we wanted from today.”

Lance Stroll was first out for Q1 in his Aston Martin as the sun set over the Yas Marina Circuit in clear conditions and temperatures of 25 (air) and (30) track, near perfect for the unprecedented 24th and final qualifying of the year.

After scrubbed laps for exceeding track limits by Perez and Franco Colapinto, Sainz went top as the Mexican’s lap was reinstated and Bottas took command shortly before Hamilton, on a desperate late lap, failed to make it.

He was eliminated in Q1 for the third time in his final six races before leaving Mercedes for Ferrari and in his 246th and final outing for the ‘Silver Arrows’.

“I messed that up big time guys,” a crestfallen Hamilton conceded on the team radio. “That was bad,” he added.

Hamilton’s demise came after he picked up a bollard - flicked into his path by Kevin Magnussen’s Haas - that was stuck under his car, creating imbalance and loss of pace.

After a record 104 pole positions, 78 with Mercedes, it was a sad qualifying finale for the seven-time champion before his move to Ferrari - and on a circuit where he has taken a record five poles.

In another incident, Russell was seen to run off track to avoid baulking Liam Lawson on a flying lap.

After much swearing on the RB radio channel, the stewards investigated and took no further action, a baffling decision a week after a similar issue had initiated Russell’s promotion to pole in Qatar where Verstappen was penalised.

Verstappen set the Q2 pace with an early lap in 1:22.998 and chose to relax as his rivals took second runs - Leclerc going top before his lap was deleted for track limits at Turn One.

This meant he qualified 14th but his penalty means he will start Sunday’s race at the back of the grid - a massive setback for Ferrari in their bid to overhaul McLaren. McLaren are 21 points clear of Ferrari in the battle for the constructors’ title.

Meanwhile, Yas Heat Racing Ambassador and Mumbai Falcons Racing’s Rashid Al Dhaheri took the chequered flag at Yas Marina Circuit - and the fastest lap with a time of 1:56.846 - in the first race of the Formula 4 Middle East Trophy Round.

The Evans GP duo of Francot and Daryanani claimed P2 and P3, followed by Yas Heat Racing’s August Raber in fourth.

The 13-lap session saw the safety car deployed after Meng Cheng spun off, as well as Emily Cotty making an unexpected pit stop with a puncture, which left the British driver with an uphill task to make an impact. The 22 drivers will return for the second race of the F4 Middle East Trophy Round at 9:45am on Sunday.

Earlier, Ferrari had to change the battery pack on Leclerc’s car on Friday in the first practice session for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Agencies