Showdown in Abu Dhabi

LIVE: The course is set for the world championship showdown

Max Verstappen was unbeatable on Saturday.(Bild: AFP/ANDREJ ISAKOVIC)

Max Verstappen has secured pole position in the final qualifying session of the Formula 1 season. The Red Bull driver will start the World Championship finale in Abu Dhabi on Sunday ahead of his title rivals Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

With a dream lap on Saturday, Max Verstappen secured pole position for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and thus an advantage for the Formula 1 World Championship final. The Red Bull driver relegated his McLaren rivals, Lando Norris (+0.201 sec.) and Oscar Piastri (+0.230), to second and third place in qualifying. "That was madness," said a jubilant Verstappen. A third place on Sunday (14:00) will be enough for Norris to become world champion.

The starting grid:

Defending champion Verstappen has to win and needs support behind him to clinch his fifth title in a row. However, with his eighth pole this year and his 48th overall, the Dutchman has achieved an important partial success. "I'm incredibly happy to be in first place. It's the only thing we can do and control to get the maximum out of it," said the 28-year-old. Starting position plays a role in Abu Dhabi that should not be underestimated. In the last ten races at the Yas Marina Circuit, the pole drivers have won each time.

Verstappen dominated Q3
The top drivers showed no signs of slowing down in the first two qualifying phases, with Piastri fastest in Q1 and George Russell in Q2. In the third section, Verstappen set a first lap record of 1:22.295 minutes. The two McLaren cars were both chasing this time, while the Dutchman even improved it once again to 1:22.207. "I think the changes we made helped me in qualifying," said the four-time champion, pointing to a number of optimizations on the car.

Lando Norris, Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri (from left to right)(Bild: EPA/ALI HAIDER)

Norris and Piastri, meanwhile, were two tenths off the pace. "Max did a great job, congratulations. I gave everything I could," explained championship leader Norris. "I think my lap was good, I was quite happy. But of course, I'm disappointed not to be on pole. We just weren't quick enough." When asked whether he was approaching Sunday's race tactically, the Briton simply replied: "I will try to win tomorrow. That's the goal." Norris goes into the all-important Grand Prix with a twelve-point lead over Verstappen and 16 over Piastri.

Incident between Norris and Tsunoda
Norris had dominated the Friday practice sessions and also remained ahead of Verstappen in the final practice session on Saturday afternoon. However, the Briton experienced a moment of shock - and it was a Red Bull driver who was to blame. At the exit of a corner, Yuki Tsunoda drove into the middle of the track. However, the Japanese driver, who will have to make way for Isack Hadjar in 2026, was not at race pace. Norris did, reacting with lightning speed and passing Tsunoda on the left to avoid a serious crash. The race stewards imposed a 10,000 euro fine on the "cops" and gave Tsunoda a warning.

For Lewis Hamilton, meanwhile, the final qualifying session was a mirror image of his season to date, with the Ferrari driver dropping out in Q1 for the third time in a row and starting the race from 16th on the grid. The seven-time world champion left the circuit in a huff. The Briton had already crashed into the barriers in the third free practice session.