As the grid is heading towards the last race in the Formula 1 schedule in Abu Dhabi, the reigning World Champion, Max Verstappen is ready to set more records and break the existing ones. As Red Bull and their star driver, Verstappen have secured P1 in the Constructors’ as well as Drivers’ Standings respectively, the remaining teams and their drivers found themselves in a cutthroat battle for P2.
A fierce competition between Mercedes and Ferrari for the sought-out second position in the standings unfolded. Verstappen secured his fourth straight pole at the Yas Marina Circuit despite facing setup issues throughout practice. The Dutchman’s front-row companion was Charles Leclerc of Ferrari, who had to defend Ferrari’s dreams of beating the Silver Arrows team while competing with the champion.
*IF* the race ended in the same order as qualifying:
– Ferrari would take P2 from Mercedes
– McLaren would hold off Aston Martin for P4
– AlphaTauri would pass Williams for P7
– Haas would beat Alfa Romeo to P9#F1 #AbuDhabiGP— Chris Medland (@ChrisMedlandF1) November 25, 2023
The rivalry between Ferrari and Mercedes intensified with an estimated $10 million separating each rank, particularly with George Russell beneath Leclerc in fourth place. The contest between Leclerc and Russell was further complicated by McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, who are starting from third and fifth.
With the qualifying results further favoring McLaren, the two teams had a substantial 11-point advantage over Aston Martin going into the battle for second place. With Yuki Tsunoda starting in sixth place, AlphaTauri has a chance to move past Williams in the final rankings.
Max Verstappen Triumphs at Abu Dhabi: Secures an impressive twelfth pole
In an exciting qualifying session for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Max Verstappen battled previous set-up difficulties to secure pole position for Red Bull. With a fastest lap time of one minute and 23.445 seconds, the three-time world champion showcased his skill and left the Monegasque driver at Ferrari only a tenth of a second behind.
As a result of this, Verstappen corresponded to the record established by 1992 champion Nigel Mansell with his 33rd career pole, fourth in a row in Abu Dhabi.
While talking about his unanticipated podium finish, Leclerc said, “I didn’t expect it and I had to put it all together so I am very happy to have second place. I hope it goes well. It’s our target to beat Mercedes and that’s all that matters this weekend.”
Fun fact: If Max Verstappen wins in Abu Dhabi, he will become the first driver in over a decade to win the opening & last race of a season.
It hasn’t been done since Jenson Button did it in 2012. pic.twitter.com/BdDgfIdKDn
— Dan’s DRS Zone (@F1GuyDan) November 26, 2023
However, Seven-time winner Lewis Hamilton struggled to move from Q2 in his Mercedes, while Carlos Sainz felt disappointed not to make it out of Q1. Sainz had also suffered from a crash during the practice session at Yas Marina, right after the damage his Ferrari had undergone during the Las Vegas Grand Prix last week.
Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin finished seventh, ahead of Haas’ Nico Hulkenberg, Sergio Perez of Red Bull, and Pierre Gasly of Alpine.