The Papayas claim the front row in Abu Dhabi, with Norris on pole and Piastri alongside him. Sainz will start his final race with Ferrari from third, while Leclerc, penalised for track limits, will start from the back of the grid.
We have reached the final weekend of the 2024 season, with qualifying for the Abu Dhabi GP proving decisive for the constructors' world championship. The McLarens have completed an impeccable job, already started in free practice, taking the front row. Norris signs his eighth pole position of the season with an incredible time of 1:22.595. At his side, Oscar Piastri, while Carlos Sainz, third, will give everything to chase the constructors' title until the last lap.
Q1: Hamilton OUT, Leclerc first
From Q1 of the Abu Dhabi GP qualifying session it turned out to be one of the closest ever, with only 7 tenths of a second difference between the first and last place finishers. McLaren, who had shown a promising pace in free practice, maintained a more modest profile: Piastri finished 7th and Norris 8th, both comfortably qualified and managed to save a set of tyres, just like Carlos Sainz, 3rd in the standings.
Charles Leclerc, penalised with 10 places on the grid for a battery change, still achieved the best time in Q1. The twist was offered by Lewis Hamilton, eliminated in Q1 in his last qualifying with Mercedes, also due to a cone that ended up on the track during his fast lap, accidentally thrown by Kevin Magnussen. Rounding out the eliminated group are Albon, Zhou, Colapinto and Doohan.
Q2: Leclerc eliminated due to track limits
Qualifying for the Abu Dhabi GP ends here for Charles Leclerc, who at the last moment saw the lap that would have saved him from elimination cancelled due to track limits at Turn 1. This means that the Monegasque driver, already penalised with 10 positions on the grid, will start tomorrow from last position. Leclerc will have to make an extraordinary comeback if he wants to fight for the constructors' title.
Carlos Sainz, on the other hand, passed the Q2 cut with the best time, followed by Verstappen and a fantastic Hulkenberg. McLaren placed Norris and Piastri in fifth and sixth position. Besides Leclerc, the other Q2 eliminations are: Tsunoda, Lawson, Stroll and Magnussen.
Q3: McLaren 1-2, Sainz third
Qualifying for the Abu Dhabi GP ends with a perfect result for McLaren: Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri conquer an entire front row Papaya, ready to aim for the long-awaited constructors' title. Norris showed off his extraordinary talent and his speed over a single lap, taking a pole position with a time of 1:22.595, his eighth of the season.
Behind them, in third place, will be Carlos Sainz, ready to compete in his last race with Ferrari. The Spanish driver will have a crucial role in trying to keep the fight with the English team alive until the last lap.
Top 10 after qualifying for Abu Dhabi GP
Here is the Top 10 of the Abu Dhabi GP Qualifying, in view of the last race of the 2024 season, which will be held tomorrow at 14pm Italian time.
- Lando Norris
- Oscar piastri
- Carlos Sainz
- Nico Hulkenberg
- Max Verstappen
- Pierre Gasly
- George Russell
- Fernando Alonso
- Valtteri Bottas
- Sergio Pérez