ABU DHABI.- The British Lando Norris (McLaren) achieved pole position for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the last race of the Formula 1 World Championship, this Saturday at the Yas Marina circuit, so the British team takes an almost definitive step towards achieving the constructors’ title.
With a spectacular last lap, Norris finished ahead of his teammate, the Australian Oscar Piastri, and the Spanish Carlos Sainz (Ferrari), who on Sunday will compete in his last race with the Scuderia before signing for Williams.
“It has been a perfect day, perhaps a little more difficult than we expected because we have been fast all weekend. I want to win, we are here to win in all the races we can,” said the Briton at the end.
“We made progress over the weekend, but McLaren showed that they are ahead of everyone. In Q1 and Q2 we got closer, but when they went full throttle in Q3 they pulled away. To be honest, we didn’t. “It has been a very emotional weekend because there is a lot at stake,” said Sainz, referring to his farewell to the Scuderia. He will share the second row with Nico Hulkenberg (Haas), who was fourth.
It was the eighth pole of the season for Norris, and the ninth of his career, staying very close to the already champion Max Verstappen (Red Bull), who has nine this season.
The Dutchman, at half throttle in this farewell weekend of the season, was fifth.
McLaren is in an unbeatable position to win the Constructors’ World Championship on Sunday. He will start with his two drivers ahead, while Ferrari will not be able to count on Charles Leclerc in the top positions.
The Monegasque driver, 14th in the standings this Saturday, has a ten-position penalty on the starting grid for changing his battery and will start from the last row.
It was a very negative Saturday for Leclerc, who saw how his best time – which was the fastest of the day – was erased for having exceeded the track limit.
McLaren has a 21-point lead, while a maximum of 44 points can be added in the last GP of the season.
Hamilton, far away
In his last GP with Mercedes before joining Ferrari and replacing Sainz, the legend of the seven world titles Lewis Hamilton was 16th, unlucky on his last lap because he rolled on a plastic element that the Dane Kevin Magnussen (Haas) came from. start, so he was stuck in his car for a few seconds.
Another illustrious member of the grid, the Spanish Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin), was brilliant. With a car that does not perform as expected, he was eighth, behind the British George Russell (Mercedes).
Next, the Finnish Valtteri Bottas (Sauber) finished ninth, his best classification of the season, ahead of the Mexican Sergio Pérez (Red Bull).
