All eyes will be on McLaren’s star duo at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix as they eye an end to a 28-year constructor’s title drought early on Monday.
Every F1 qualifying session and race LIVE in 4K on Kayo. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer.
Not since 1998 has McLaren claimed the prestigious title – but they’ll take a massive advantage into the final event of the Formula 1 calendar after reeling off their third front row lockout of the season.
Lando Norris landed pole after his “perfect day” in qualifying, ahead of Australian teammate Oscar Piastri at the Yas Marina Circuit.
TALKING PTS | One last ‘papaya rules’ fight for Piastri after Ferrari flop
‘PERFECT DAY’ | McLaren’s ‘dream’ title scenario as ‘idiotic mistake’ ruins Hamilton’s farewell
‘TOO FAR’ | F1 feud explodes as star makes stunning claim, unloads on ‘bully’ Verstappen
Remarkably, pole and second have finished first and runner up in seven of the last nine races at the track. And the Abu Dhabi GP has only been won from below the front row once – by Kimi Raikkonen back in 2012.
LIVE REPORT
Aussie star Oscar Piastri’s season finale started in the worst possible way, with his McLaren hit by reigning champion Max Verstappen on the opening turn.
Just minutes after commentator Martin Brundle warned Verstappen would prove himself a “menace” with “nothing to lose”, Piastri was left with nowhere to go as he tried to turn in just seconds into the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
The moment left Piastri facing the wrong way as the field went by.
“That is the worst possible start,” commentator David Croft said.
It’s left McLaren’s Lando Norris without his “wingman” in a bid to win McLaren the constructor’s title for the first time in 28 years.
Team boss Zak Brown had earlier said he hoped for a 50th one-two finish, but those hopes were dashed on that opening lap.
Piastri dropped 17 places as a result of the contact while Verstappen went from fourth to 10th – and then copped a 10-second penalty.
“Max was always going to go for it in the first corner,” Brundle said.
“He didn’t really need to do that.
“It’s so unfair of Max – they are not in the championship. He’s won his driver’s championship. To put in such a risky move – I know it’s the first lap of a Grand Prix. There was a bit of a gap… Piastri wouldn’t know he’d lunge like that. It just wasn’t necessary.”
Verstappen was left bemused by the penalty he received.
“I mean I was just super unlucky,” he said on team radio.
“I was all the way up the inside before the crash.”
In more bad news for Piastri, he later received his own 10-second penalty for making contact with Franco Colapinto as he tried to make his way back through the field.
Remarkably, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc made his way into fifth inside the opening 13 laps after starting from the last row.
AHEAD OF FINAL RACE
Lewis Hamilton is relegated back to the eighth row after a disastrous qualifying in his Mercedes farewell, ahead of the shift to Ferrari next season.
Ferrari star Charles Leclerc faired even worse – relegated to the back of the grid at a time his team need to overhaul a 21-point deficit to take the constructors’ title ahead of McLaren.
Leclerc hit with penalty in Practice | 01:43
“It’s a difficult one to take … between the engine penalty and the lap time deleted, we are not in the strongest position,” he told reporters post-qualifying.
“I will give it my all to turn it around.
“I still feel everything is possible. I’ll do my best.
“It’s going to be a very tough race … I’ll believe in it to the very end.”
Leclerc’s teammate Carlos Sainz will start from third alongside four-time F1 champion Max Verstappen.
Follow the action in the blog below. If you can’t see the blog, please click here
STARTING GRID
Front row Lando Norris (GBR) McLaren, Oscar Piastri (AUS) McLaren
2nd row Carlos Sainz (ESP) Ferrari, Max Verstappen (NED) Red Bull
3rd row Pierre Gasly (FRA) Alpine, George Russell (GBR) Mercedes
4th row Nico Hulkenberg (GER) Haas, Fernando Alonso (ESP) Aston Martin
5th row Valtteri Bottas (FIN) Sauber, Sergio Perez (MEX) Red Bull,
6th row Yuki Tsunoda (JPN) RB, Liam Lawson (NZL) RB
7th row Lance Stroll (CAN) Aston Martin, Kevin Magnussen (DEN) Haas
8th row Zhou Guanyu (CHN) Sauber, Lewis Hamilton (GBR) Mercedes
9th row Jack Doohan (AUS) Alpine, Alex Albon (THA) Williams
10th row Charles Leclerc (MON) Ferrari, Franco Colapinto (ARG) Williams
Discussion about this post