Verstappen will start ahead of teammate Sergio Perez and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc after the one-hour qualifying session, which is split into three segments with five cars each being knocked out in Q1 and Q2 before the top-10 shootout of Q3.
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix qualifying results: Verstappen on pole from Perez
| Cla | Nº | Driver | Car / Engine | Time | Delay [s] |
Delay [%] |
| 1 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 1'23.824 | - | - |
| 2 | 11 | Sergio Pérez | Red Bull | 1'24.052 | 0.228 | 0.272 |
| 3 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1'24.092 | 0.268 | 0.320 |
| 4 | 55 | Carlos Sainz Jr. | Ferrari | 1'24.242 | 0.418 | 0.499 |
| 5 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1'24.508 | 0.684 | 0.816 |
| 6 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1'24.511 | 0.687 | 0.820 |
| 7 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren/Mercedes | 1'24.769 | 0.945 | 1.127 |
| 8 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine/Renault | 1'24.830 | 1.006 | 1.200 |
| 9 | 5 | Sebastian Vettel | Aston Martin/Mercedes | 1'24.961 | 1.137 | 1.356 |
| 10 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Alpine/Renault | 1'25.096 | 1.272 | 1.517 |
| 11 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | AlphaTauri/Red Bull | 1'25.219 | 1.395 | 1.664 |
| 12 | 47 | Mick Schumacher | Haas/Ferrari | 1'25.225 | 1.401 | 1.671 |
| 13 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | McLaren/Mercedes | 1'25.045 | 1.221 | 1.457 |
| 3-place penalty for causing a collision with Kevin Magnussen in the previous race |
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| 14 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin/Mercedes | 1'25.359 | 1.535 | 1.831 |
| 15 | 24 | Zhou Guanyu | Alfa Romeo/Ferrari | 1'25.408 | 1.584 | 1.890 |
| 16 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas/Ferrari | 1'25.834 | 2.010 | 2.398 |
| 17 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | AlphaTauri/Red Bull | 1'25.859 | 2.035 | 2.428 |
| 18 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Alfa Romeo/Ferrari | 1'25.892 | 2.068 | 2.467 |
| 19 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams/Mercedes | 1'26.028 | 2.204 | 2.629 |
| 20 | 6 | Nicholas Latifi | Williams/Mercedes | 1'26.054 | 2.230 | 2.660 |
What happened in Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Q1?
Perez set the early pace at 1m24.820s before Verstappen took over in P1 by 0.066s on 1m24.754s.
Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz was third, three tenths off their pace but a tenth clear of teammate Leclerc.
Falling at the first hurdle were Brazilian GP poleman Kevin Magnussen (Haas), Pierre Gasly (AlphaTauri), Valtteri Bottas (Alfa Romeo), and the Williams duo of Alex Albon and Nicholas Latifi.
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Q1 results: Verstappen fastest from Perez
| Cla | Driver | Chassis | Time | Gap | Interval | km/h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Max Verstappen |
Red Bull | 1'24.754 | 224.315 | ||
| 2 |  Sergio Perez |
Red Bull | 1'24.820 | 0.066 | 0.066 | 224.140 |
| 3 |  Carlos Sainz |
Ferrari | 1'25.090 | 0.336 | 0.270 | 223.429 |
| 4 |  Charles Leclerc |
Ferrari | 1'25.211 | 0.457 | 0.121 | 223.112 |
| 5 |  Lando Norris |
McLaren | 1'25.387 | 0.633 | 0.176 | 222.652 |
| 6 |  Sebastian Vettel |
Aston Martin | 1'25.523 | 0.769 | 0.136 | 222.298 |
| 7 | George Russell |
Mercedes | 1'25.545 | 0.791 | 0.022 | 222.240 |
| 8 | Lewis Hamilton |
Mercedes | 1'25.594 | 0.840 | 0.049 | 222.113 |
| 9 |  Zhou Guanyu |
Alfa Romeo | 1'25.594 | 0.840 | 0.000 | 222.113 |
| 10 |  Yuki Tsunoda |
AlphaTauri | 1'25.630 | 0.876 | 0.036 | 222.020 |
| 11 | Mick Schumacher |
Haas | 1'25.711 | 0.957 | 0.081 | 221.810 |
| 12 |  Esteban Ocon |
Alpine | 1'25.735 | 0.981 | 0.024 | 221.748 |
| 13 |  Lance Stroll |
Aston Martin | 1'25.741 | 0.987 | 0.006 | 221.732 |
| 14 |  Daniel Ricciardo |
McLaren | 1'25.766 | 1.012 | 0.025 | 221.668 |
| 15 | Fernando Alonso |
Alpine | 1'25.782 | 1.028 | 0.016 | 221.626 |
| 16 |  Kevin Magnussen |
Haas | 1'25.834 | 1.080 | 0.052 | 221.492 |
| 17 | Pierre Gasly |
AlphaTauri | 1'25.859 | 1.105 | 0.025 | 221.428 |
| 18 |  Valtteri Bottas |
Alfa Romeo | 1'25.892 | 1.138 | 0.033 | 221.343 |
| 19 |  Alex Albon |
Williams | 1'26.028 | 1.274 | 0.136 | 220.993 |
| 20 | Nicholas Latifi |
Williams | 1'26.054 | 1.300 | 0.026 | 220.926 |
| View full results | ||||||
What happened in Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Q2?
Leclerc set the initial pace at 1m25.345s before Sainz beat him by three tenths.
Verstappen grabbed P1 with 1m24.862s but Perez then went to the top on 1m24.419s, over four tenths clear of the rest. Hamilton was best of the rest after the first runs, 0.355s down, in P2 with a 1m24.774s.
On the final runs, Leclerc took second quickest on 1m24.517s, with Sainz taking third – a tenth further back.
Knocked out at this point were Fernando Alonso (Alpine), Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri), Mick Schumacher (in his final qualifying session for Haas), Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) and Zhou Guanyu (Alfa Romeo).
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Q2 results: Perez fastest from Leclerc
| Cla | Nº | Driver | Car / Engine | Time | Delay | Delay % | Laps | km/h |
| 1 | 11 | Sergio Pérez | Red Bull | 1'24.419 | 6 | 225.205 | ||
| 2 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1'24.517 | 0.098 | 0.116 | 6 | 224.944 |
| 3 | 55 | Carlos Sainz Jr. | Ferrari | 1'24.521 | 0.102 | 0.121 | 6 | 224.933 |
| 4 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 1'24.622 | 0.203 | 0.240 | 6 | 224.664 |
| 5 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1'24.774 | 0.355 | 0.421 | 9 | 224.262 |
| 6 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren/Mercedes | 1'24.903 | 0.484 | 0.573 | 6 | 223.921 |
| 7 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1'24.940 | 0.521 | 0.617 | 8 | 223.823 |
| 8 | 5 | Sebastian Vettel | Aston Martin/Mercedes | 1'24.974 | 0.555 | 0.657 | 6 | 223.734 |
| 9 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine/Renault | 1'25.007 | 0.588 | 0.697 | 6 | 223.647 |
| 10 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | McLaren/Mercedes | 1'25.068 | 0.649 | 0.769 | 6 | 223.487 |
| 11 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Alpine/Renault | 1'25.096 | 0.677 | 0.802 | 6 | 223.413 |
| 12 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | AlphaTauri/Red Bull | 1'25.219 | 0.800 | 0.948 | 6 | 223.091 |
| 13 | 47 | Mick Schumacher | Haas/Ferrari | 1'25.225 | 0.806 | 0.955 | 6 | 223.075 |
| 14 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin/Mercedes | 1'25.359 | 0.940 | 1.113 | 6 | 222.725 |
| 15 | 24 | Zhou Guanyu | Alfa Romeo/Ferrari | 1'25.408 | 0.989 | 1.172 | 6 | 222.597 |
What happened in Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Q3?
On the first runs, Sainz took provisional pole with 1m24.281s, ahead of Perez – who had a big moment at the final corner – and Leclerc. Verstappen then took over at the front with a lap of 1m23.988s, almost three tenths clear of the others.
On the final runs, Verstappen improved to 1m23.824s and was joined on the front row by Perez on 1m24.052s, who was 0.228s slower. Leclerc took P3 with 1m24.092s, beating Sainz who didn’t improve on his final lap. Hamilton jumped up to fifth with 1m24.508s.
George Russell will start sixth, ahead of Lando Norris (McLaren), Esteban Ocon (Alpine), Sebastian Vettel (ninth for his final GP with Aston Martin) and Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren, who has a three-place grid penalty for his clash with Magnussen at Interlagos).
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Q3 results: Verstappen takes pole
| Cla | Nº | Driver | Car / Engine | Time | Delay | Delay % | Laps | km/h |
| 1 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 1'23.824 | 6 | 226.803 | ||
| 2 | 11 | Sergio Pérez | Red Bull | 1'24.052 | 0.228 | 0.272 | 6 | 226.188 |
| 3 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1'24.092 | 0.268 | 0.320 | 6 | 226.080 |
| 4 | 55 | Carlos Sainz Jr. | Ferrari | 1'24.242 | 0.418 | 0.499 | 6 | 225.678 |
| 5 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1'24.508 | 0.684 | 0.816 | 6 | 224.968 |
| 6 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1'24.511 | 0.687 | 0.820 | 6 | 224.960 |
| 7 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren/Mercedes | 1'24.769 | 0.945 | 1.127 | 5 | 224.275 |
| 8 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine/Renault | 1'24.830 | 1.006 | 1.200 | 6 | 224.114 |
| 9 | 5 | Sebastian Vettel | Aston Martin/Mercedes | 1'24.961 | 1.137 | 1.356 | 3 | 223.768 |
| 10 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | McLaren/Mercedes | 1'25.045 | 1.221 | 1.457 | 3 | 223.547 |
