- Mercedes pair edged out by Dutch driver in qualifying
- First non-Mercedes pole in dry conditions this year
Max Verstappen claimed pole position for the final race of the Formula One season in Abu Dhabi. The Dutchman was mighty in his commanding lap to take the first pole for Red Bull this season and beat the Mercedes of Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton into second and third. McLaren’s Lando Norris was in fourth and Verstappen’s teammate Alexander Albon in fifth.
Bottas had set the best time on his first hot run in Q3, with a 1min 35.415sec. It was a fine lap but Verstappen in second was only a tenth off, as was Hamilton in third. There was little to choose between all three of them, with Bottas’s control through the middle sector proving the differentiator. Heading out for their final runs Hamilton was leading the way for Mercedes and promptly found more pace. He was quickest thought sector one and again improved in the crucial middle sector and held it together for the run to the line to put in a 1:35.332 lap.
Written by Giles Richards
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/dec/12/max-verstappen-pips-bottas-and-hamilton-to-pole-for-f1-abu-dhabi-gp under the title “Max Verstappen pips Bottas and Hamilton to pole for F1 Abu Dhabi GP”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
