Red Bull driver Max Verstappen comfortably secures pole position for Sunday’s hugely-anticipated Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Level on points with title rival Lewis Hamilton, Verstappen was determined to swing the momentum back in his favour after being second-best in recent weeks.
However, the Dutchman conclusively outperformed the Mercedes driver on Saturday, finishing just under four tenths of a second ahead of the Briton.
In an unforeseen twist, Lando Norris was third in the McLaren, forcing Red Bull’s Sergio Perez into fourth by just 16 thousands of a second.
Hamilton’s teammate Valtteri Bottas could only qualify in sixth, and the Finn will be expected to move through the field in order to potentially help Hamilton at some stage in the race.
Mercedes also hold an advantage of 28.5 points in the Constructors Championship, a sideshow to the main event involving Verstappen and Hamilton.
