Qualifying Highlights | 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - YouTube

Lando Norris has set two personal bests

through the first and middle sector of this lap.

And there is a bollard knocked by Lando Norris as he goes fourth fastest.

So was it the Haas that hit it?

Yes, it was, of Mick Schumacher.

Lando Norris running straight over it,

and could have been quite easily flicked up.

Nicholas Latifi a driver at risk at the moment,

because Latifi only 15th fastest at the end of his final flying lap.

Stroll, in his 100th Grand Prix this weekend, crosses the line, goes 13th,

and puts Latifi into the bottom five.

Is there anyone behind Sebastian Vettel that might cause a bit of danger?

Ocon goes ninth, ahead of Daniel Ricciardo,

while George Russell is out on the track, as Alonso goes 11th fastest.

George Russell has got potential and pace, as Carlos Sainz goes eighth fastest

and he's safely through, as Charles Leclerc goes sixth fastest.

So Ocon and Vettel...

We saw them having a bit of a moment at the final corner.

Are they both going to go through?

It looks like it as it stands at the moment.

George Russell out-qualified by Nicholas Latifi.

Yeah, those tyres went nowhere, absolutely nowhere.

I did say, guys. We didn't need to risk it.

Lance Stroll will be the next driver to cross the line,

making his 100th race start this weekend.

Would love to do it inside the top ten.

He's not going to get that chance.

Misses out by three tenths of a second.

Pierre Gasly would like to be in the top six.

He's not. He's only 12th at the moment,

as Perez goes fastest on the soft-compound tyre.

So Perez will definitely be starting this race on the soft tyres.

Verstappen's done a 17.0 for the first sector.

That's on pace for a flying lap,

as we now ride on board with Esteban Ocon round that Turn 14,

where Sebastian Vettel scuffed the advertising hoardings a little while ago.

Ocon now to the final corner. Norris has gone fastest –

his fastest – tthrough the middle sector.

Ocon – eighth fastest. Norris at risk,

with his team mate, Daniel Ricciardo,

also putting in a personal best in the middle sector.

Norris goes quickest... quicker, I should say. Seventh fastest for him.

Max Verstappen will start the race on the soft-compound tyre

because he has gone quicker and he's gone quickest of all.

Cheers from the crowd.

Red Bull have played their strategy hand here.

Mercedes will be starting this race on the medium;

Red Bull hoping for more speed off the line on the softs.

Ricciardo makes it into Q3, but only just.

But in this championship battle, Martin Brundle,

Red Bull have gone for speed and grip off the line.

- It's carnage again. - Yeah.

And this, Martin Brundle, was the kerfuffle of all kerfuffles

and the gentleman's agreement that no one could agree on.

Well, they're all trying to get on with it,

but it'd be so easy to trip over another driver there.

Fernando Alonso feeling that the McLaren held him up.

So Sebastian Vettel misses out.

Giovinazzi misses out. Lance Stroll misses out on Q3.

Pierre Gasly fails to reach Q3 for only

the fourth time in the last 25 Grands Prix,

and Fernando Alonso misses Q3 by just 12 one thousandths of a second.

17.0 for Perez. He's a couple of tenths down,

- as we watch Hamilton. - He pulled out... He pulled out of the way.

Perez pulled out of the way there.

Did slipstream Verstappen down the straight towards Turn 9.

So Verstappen with a 35.6 in the middle sector.

They've been losing time to Mercedes in the middle sector.

Maybe that's where they needed it the most, then.

Verstappen with three more corners to go.

As we look now at these two right-handers to finish the lap.

He's two tenths up on Hamilton through the middle sector.

Verstappen crosses the line: 1:22.1.

Is that good enough to take provisional pole?

We'll find out shortly.

Yeah, he aced the last corner, did Max Verstappen.

So it's all on Lewis Hamilton now through the final sector.

Verstappen's been always saving a little bit of tyre,

as well, for this final few corners.

Let's see what Lewis Hamilton's got in reply.

Tsunoda ahead of Norris.

Here comes Hamilton. Crosses the line only second fastest.

It's front row, and half a second between Verstappen and Hamilton.

The team game at Red Bull has worked on the first flying laps.

We're into the final shootout for pole position here.

Tremendous exit from the first corner for Lewis,

but he's still 49 thousandths of a second down.

Apex hit this time. Remember, he locked up in there before.

Down the first of the long straights,

then to the very tight and technical Turns 6 and 7,

Car sparking away as the aerodynamics force the chassis to the ground.

And let's see if he can pick up the throttle nicely

through the exit without any complaint from the rear tyres.

A little bit of movement there. You never want any sideways movement.

That means you're not going forwards when you're going sideways.

He's out on his own. No slipstream for Lewis.

And he can pour the car into Turn 9.

It's a green middle sector for him.

Has he kept some tyres for the end of the lap?

If he has, he needs to absolutely ace this final sector

because he's lacking by about a tenth of a second

any time to beat Max Verstappen, who's out on track

and you can see him there.

Green sectors being displayed by all the drivers.

The track is ramping up. It's getting quicker,

but is it getting quick enough for Lewis Hamilton?

Five-time pole-sitter here at Yas Marina, crosses the line.

He's not on pole in 2021.

You can hear the roars of the crowd.

Hamilton on the front row at best.

Max Verstappen is going quicker through the middle sector,

as Tsunoda gets a time on the board

that's good enough for sixth fastest,

after getting his initial lap time deleted.

Last time he came here to Yas Marina, Max Verstappen was on pole.

Went on to win the race.

Can Perez get his Red Bull ahead of Hamilton,

make it an all-Red Bull front row?

They're absolutely equal in the first two sectors.

Norris goes third for now.

Perez hasn't been on the front row since Imola.

It's fourth fastest only for Perez. Second row for him.

Max Verstappen crosses the line! Didn't need to go faster.

Actually got it all done on the first flying lap.

He's on pole!

Oh yes! ****!

Didn't expect that one, but amazing job, guys. Haha!

Well done, mate! Great teamwork. Great teamwork.

Well done! Good job!

Max Verstappen, with his tenth pole position of the season,

secures pole from Lewis Hamilton,

who has to settle for the front row here.

And Lando Norris starting third.