Max fifth in final qualifying of the year: 'Not ideal'

Published on 07 December 2024 by Stefan Meens

Max Verstappen will start the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix from fifth on the grid. The McLarens of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were quickest round the Yas Marina Circuit, with the former taking pole position. Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz completed the top three, with Max’s Oracle Red Bull Racing teammate Sergio Perez finishing tenth.

“Of course, fifth isn’t ideal”, said Max after qualifying. “It was a tricky session in which the car was quite difficult, like most of the season. Sometimes we get it together, like in Qatar, but here we struggle a bit more because of the bumps and kerbs. The balance just isn’t exactly how I’d like it so it becomes tricky to drive on the edge.”

The Dutchman also reflected on his slide out of the last corner in his first Q3 run. “I’ve not seen it back. It was pretty spectacular, but not really quick. So we changed a couple of things on the font wing for the second run, but that didn’t work at all.”

Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll is the first driver to start qualifying, soon followed by the rest of the grid. After the first flurry of flying laps, Carlos Sainz is quickest in the Ferrari, followed by Max and Kevin Magnussen (Haas). At the end of Q1, Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) is quickest, ahead of, surprisingly, Sauber’s Valtteri Bottas and Sainz.

An even bigger surprise is Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton stranding in Q1. The seven-time champion is the bottom five, along with Alex Albon, Franco Colapinto (both Williams), Guanyu Zhou (Sauber) and Jack Doohan (Alpine).

The biggest casualty of the second part of qualifying is Charles Leclerc, who joins Yuki Tsunoda, Liam Lawson (both RB), Lance Stroll and Keving Magnussen in the group of drivers that do not progress beyond Q2. Max comfortably goes through to the top ten shootout being the only driver to just do one flying lap.

At the start of Q3, Hulkenberg is the first driver to head out. He does so on a set of used Pirellis. Everyone, bar Max, joins the Haas driver in opting for used tyres. Max sets his first time on a brand-new set of softs and goes quickest, despite a big slide coming out the final corner.

As the drivers prepare for their final flying lap in Q3, Max leads ahead of Norris and Piastri. Hulkenberg is the first driver to lap quicker than the Dutchman, but is soon usurped by Piastri, Sainz and Norris, with the latter taking a commanding pole position. Max is the last driver to set a time but is unable to improve on his first effort and has to settle for fifth.

Contest Abu Dhabi GP: win a by Max Verstappen signed Red Bull Racing cap!

Results qualifying Abu-dhabi: