Max Verstappen Unbeatable During The Final Qualifying Session In Abu Dhabi

One of the most thrilling F1 World Driver's Championship battles that the sport has seen in 15 years is coming to an end this weekend inAbu Dhabi. The story is almost writing itself with Lando Norris, Max Verstappen, and Oscar Piastri qualifying in the top three for the final race of the season.

Mathematically, it would take a race win for Max Verstappen and Lando Norris missing out on the podium to take the title in one of the greatest comebacks in Formula 1 history. It will take a "bit of luck" from the rest of the grid to take that win, according to Verstappen.

That said, after claiming a dominant pole position today over the championship rivals of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri (P2 and P3, respectively), Verstappen is off to a head start in his final bid for 2the 025 title.

Verstappen Uses Signature Red Bull Strategy to Launch Ahead of the McLarens

Max Verstappen Red Bull Las Vegas — Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Max Verstappen secured his 48th career pole today, claiming that qualifying 'felt a little bit more together' than the other sessions throughout the weekend. He credited a number of factors in his post-qualifying interviews.

First of which is that the track conditions improve as the qualifying sessions continue in Abu Dhabi. Second, a tire strategy call to use scrubbed softs in Q2 that were "quite decent" already, according to Verstappen.

"In Q3 the track temp is coming down which means you can push a bit more and that's exactly what we did. We found a bit more lap time and of course incredibly happy to be in First. You have to try and guess a little bit about how much the track is going to improve. I do think what we changed definitely helped me a little bit more to feel better in qualifying."
Max Verstappen, P1, Red Bull

Of course, Verstappen also credited his outgoing teammate Yuki Tsunoda, who is set to be replaced by Isack Hadjar and be relegated to a testing position, for giving him a tow and "sacrificing a lap" for Max's benefit.

Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull — Yuki Tsunoda of Japan and Oracle Red Bull Racing | Photo by Mark Thompson / Getty Images / Red Bull Racing

All in all, Verstappen just looked faster today than the McLarens potentially expected, with both Norris and Piastri acknowledging his pace during the entirety of qualifying. That said, Norris does sit at a significant benefit heading into the Grand Prix tomorrow.

Verstappen knows that it will take "a bit of luck" and teamwork to ensure that Norris is kept off the podium. His team principal, Laurent Meckies, shared the sentiment that tomorrow is about focusing on Max's race and staying out of what plays out behind.

"The focus now is simply trying to see what we can do to extract the last half a tenth of race pace tomorrow based on what we have learned today. We don't control what's behind us. What matters is that we go into the race tomorrow with the fastest race car possible."
Laurent Meckies,Team Principal, Red Bull

Anything can happen in Turn 1 at Abu Dhabi, with Verstappen and Piastri colliding at Turn 1 last year, over much lower stakes, of course.

Mathematically, as the F1 World Driver's Championship stands, if the drivers remain in their qualifying order, Lando Norris will take the title — even if Verstappen wins the race.

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