In the last and most important round of this 2021 Formula 1 season, today's qualifying session can be one of the decisive turning points for one of the most exciting world championships we’ve witnessed in recent years.

Verstappen conquered an amazing pole position, team effort and strategy were keys, Hamilton arrived just behind him and Norris will start from the 3rd place in tomorrow’s race, but everything is yet to be decided.

Already in free practice Hamilton’s pace was impressive, but Verstappen didn’t seem to be far away from his lap times, and this, with the hunger for the first world title could help him in the race.

An incredible twist marked the third free practice session, with Lewis Hamilton risking a 10-place grid penalty.

The reason lied in a kind of impeding against Mazepin upon returning from the pits, a bit like what had happened in Jeddah. There it costed him a reprimand, if the stewards had given it to him even today it would have been the third time this season, and it would have turned into a penalty to be served on the grid.

The tension is growing between Red Bull and Mercedes, with Hamilton being the most successful driver ever in Abu Dhabi, with 5 victories, and Verstappen’s will to replicate last year’s result.

They will continue to study each other until tomorrow, aware that the war on the track can give any kind of outcome.

Qualifying report

Q1

Green light and away we go for the last qualifying session of the season.

Leclerc and Sainz are the first to go out in Yas Marina, with the unusual choice of medium compounds, while all the others have chosen the soft ones.

Verstappen immediately sets the best lap time in 1’23’’680, while both Mercedes are still in the pits.

Hamilton takes the lead, and Verstappen is now behind by  56 thousandths, Bottas is third.

Everyone needs to be careful to the track limits in turn 16, as Gasly is the first to get his lap time deleted.

Red Flag caused by a skittle hit by Mick Schumacher, following a too much internal trajectory. Not a comfortable situation for those who had mounted new tyres, or had just come out of the pits.

5 minutes to go and Sainz and Leclerc are back on track, this time with soft tyres, compounds that are expected to be 6 tenths faster than the medium ones.

Hamilton remains in the lead, by setting an even better time, while are out of Q2 in this order: Latifi, Russell, Raikkonen, Schumacher and Mazepin.

Q2

Q2 has begun. 15 minutes to go.

Medium tyres for Verstappen, Perez, Hamilton and Bottas.

Verstappen is second by only 4 thousandths, behind Hamilton who, however, set a lap time influenced by some corrections.

Carlos Sainz sets the best lap time with soft tyres, Leclerc is now third with the same compound.

Verstappen complains about some flatspot and returns to the pits to replace the tyres.

4 minutes to go and Gasly and Ricciardo are provisionally out of Q1, Perez is at risk.

Verstappen goes out with softs, probably looking for a different strategy from Mercedes, because his medium tyres are damaged.

Verstappen takes the lead with soft compounds, Perez is second, are out of Q1, in this order: Alonso, Gasly, Stroll, Giovinazzi and Vettel.

Q3

The last Q3 of the season starts with an amazing team effort fron Red Bull, with Verstappen who sets a great lap time (1’22″109) thanks to Perez giving him a slipstream.

Hamilton is second by 0.551 from Verstappen, until now Red Bull’s strategy seems to be working.

Just 1 minute to go, last lap for everyone, and Hamilton doesn’t seem as fast as Verstappen in the first and in the second sector, he in fact finishes second.

Max Verstappen keeps the pole, and Norris takes home an amazing third place.

🏁 TOP TEN (END OF QUALIFYING) 🏁

Verstappen
Hamilton
Norris (📸)
Perez
Sainz
Bottas
Leclerc
Tsunoda
Ocon
Ricciardo#AbuDhabiGP 🇦🇪 #F1 pic.twitter.com/g8aTHRq5jx

— Formula 1 (@F1) December 11, 2021