Lando Norris led team-mate Oscar Piastri as McLaren sealed an Abu Dhabi Grand Prix front-row lockout that puts them on the verge of Constructors’ Championship glory.
McLaren were already clear favourites to claim a first constructors’ title since 1998 as they entered the season finale with a 21-point lead over Ferrari, but their position was significantly strengthened as Norris saved his best until last to edge Piastri.
Ferrari’s hopes had already been massively dented when Charles Leclerc’s Q2 exit – after a track limits breach – confined the Monegasque to starting from the back row of the grid following a 10-position penalty enforced on Friday for taking a new battery.
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Charles Leclerc was knocked out in Q2 after breaching track limits in Turn One and with a huge 10-grid place penalty will start the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix last
Carlos Sainz did manage to take third for Ferrari, but the Italian team will need something of a miracle in Sunday’s race – live on Sky Sports at 1pm – to overturn their deficit.
World champion Max Verstappen had appeared to be McLaren’s main rival for pole but uncharacteristically lost form with his final flying lap to end up fifth.
The Dutchman was surprisingly beaten by Nico Hulkenberg, who produced Haas’ best qualifying performance of the season to take fourth, but Pierre Gasly claimed a similarly impressive sixth for Alpine to set up a thrilling finale in the battle for sixth in the constructors’ standings.
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Lewis Hamilton and Toto Wolff were left bemused after a bollard scuppered his lap during Q1 in Abu Dhabi, leaving him 18th for Sunday’s Grand Prix
George Russell’s streak of two successive poles was ended as he claimed seventh, while team-mate Lewis Hamilton qualified 18th after making a hugely unfortunate Q1 exit in his final Mercedes appearance before joining Ferrari, after a bollard was pushed into the path of his car.
Fernando Alonso was eighth for Aston Martin, while Valtteri Bottas – on his final Sauber appearance – produced his best qualifying performance of the season to beat Red Bull’s Sergio Perez to ninth.
McLaren finally unleash pace as Ferrari’s woes worsen
McLaren had established themselves as clear favourites for pole after dominating second and third practice at the Yas Marina Circuit, but their advantage seemed to have disappeared in the first two parts of qualifying.
Verstappen suddenly appeared to be a serious contender and unlike the rest of the field, only needed one flying lap to advance from Q2, allowing him two fresh sets to his rivals’ one for the final pole position shootout.
The Dutchman wasted the opportunity to apply major pressure to the McLarens as a big moment at the final corner saw him only marginally edge them on the first Q3 runs despite a tyre advantage that should have counted for more.
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Anthony Davidson analyses the fight between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri for pole position of the Abu Dhabi GP.
On the decisive second runs, with all of the top 10 now on new tyres, Norris and Piastri comfortably cleared Verstappen, who was unable to improve on his first lap amid a sudden loss of balance.
Norris’ time of 1:22.595s put him two tenths clear of Piastri, and drew him level with Verstappen on a leading figure of eight pole positions for the season.
“A perfect day for us. Probably a bit tougher than we were hoping for,” Norris said. “We are pleased with a one-two. Just a bit trickier than we would like. My lap in the end was strong. Just how we wanted to end today.”
The pressure on McLaren to end a 26-year wait to win the constructors’ title had already been eased by Leclerc’s exit, which came after he ran marginally wide on the exit at Turn 1, a corner which caught several drivers out during the session.
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Nico Rosberg offers Zak Brown some advice about team orders ahead of the crucial final race in Abu Dhabi.
It was an unnecessary error from the Monegasque given he had plenty of margin, as the lap momentarily put him top of the Q2 timesheet before it was deleted, dropping him to 14th.
Leclerc is spared starting from last due to the fact that Williams’ Franco Colapinto drops below him from a qualifying position of 19th because of a five-place penalty for taking a new gearbox. Colapinto’s team-mate Alex Albon drops from 16th in qualifying to 18th on the grid due to the same penalty.
It worsened a nightmare weekend for Leclerc which began with a bout of food poisoning on Thursday before the technical failure on his Ferrari during Friday’s first practice resulted in a 10-place grid penalty.
McLaren can guarantee the title by scoring 24 points in the race, a figure that is easily obtainable given Norris and Piastri finishing in their starting positions would combine for 43 points.
More to follow…
Sky Sports F1’s live Abu Dhabi GP schedule
Sunday December 8
7.10am: F1 Academy Race Three
9.20am: F2 Feature Race
11.30am: Grand Prix Sunday: Abu Dhabi GP build-up
1pm: The ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX
3pm: Chequered Flag: Abu Dhabi GP reaction
4pm: Ted’s Notebook
*also live on Sky Sports Main Event
Watch the final race of the 2024 Formula 1 season – the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – live on Sky Sports F1, with Sunday’s race at 1pm. Get Sky Sports F1 or stream with NOW