Verstappen Takes Pole in Abu Dhabi, Hamilton Snags P2 With World Championship On The Line

The contenders are tied in the race for the World Championship while Mercedes has a slight edge over Red Bull for the constructors' title.

Verstappen: DPA/SIPA USA | Hamilton: IPA/SIPA USA

Formula One fans, we are just one race away from crowning the World Champion and Constructors' title. 

Max Verstappen snagged the pole during qualifying in Abu Dhabi while Lewis Hamilton will start at second. Before Saturday, Verstappen had not been the fastest qualifier since the United States Grand Prix in October.

Mercedes took every pole and win at Abu Dhabi from 2014 until '19. Then, last season, Verstappen shocked the Formula One world when he claimed his first pole position of the season. The young Red Bull driver went on to win the race.

Lando Norris finished in third for McLaren, while Red Bull's Sergio Pérez and Mercedes's Valtteri Bottas placed fourth and sixth respectively. The latter two teams are in a battle for the constructors' title, but Mercedes has the advantage with a 28-point lead in the standings. If they can score at least 17 points between Hamilton and Bottas on Sunday, Mercedes will clinch its eighth consecutive title.

The two title contenders—Verstappen and Hamilton—both faired well during practice despite the new track changes at Yas Marina. While the 24-year-old topped the first practice, the 36-year-old Brit drove the fastest lap during the second. Verstappen, though, fell to fourth during the second practice. 

In the third practice, Hamilton placed first and Verstappen second, a flip of their finishing positions in qualifying.

Friday gave us our first proper glimpse of some subtle track changes at Yas Marina for this weekend's title showdown 👀#AbuDhabiGP 🇦🇪 #F1 pic.twitter.com/82N5lXU6it

— Formula 1 (@F1) December 10, 2021

Verstappen held the lead for the drivers' title heading into last weekend's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, but a chaotic race filled with standing starts, multiple safety cars and a back-and-forth battle between the contenders threw the 24-year-old's title dreams for a loop. It all came to a head when Verstappen was told to let Hamilton pass with 12 laps to go, but the two collided. The Mercedes driver went on to win the race, tying the two heading into the season finale. 

The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is slated to begin at 8 a.m. ET on Sunday, Dec. 12. Because it will be 5:00 p.m. local time, the race will be lights out in no time