Norris leads Abu Dhabi qualifying, McLaren dominates front row

Lando Norris led the final qualifying session of the 2024 Formula 1 season with a time of 1:22.595, securing pole position at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. His teammate, Oscar Piastri, joined him on the front row with a time of 1:22.804, reinforcing McLaren's dominance at the event. This result boosts the team's aspirations to clinch the Constructors' Championship in the season finale.

The Briton outpaced his teammate by 0.209 seconds, thanks to a precise final lap in the last sector of the circuit. Meanwhile, Carlos Sainz, driving for Ferrari, secured third place with a time of 1:22.824, making it into the top five in a session where several favorites faced challenges.

Max Verstappen, who led the early qualifying segments, finished fifth after failing to improve his time in the final attempt. Despite having two fresh sets of soft tires for the final session, his best lap of 1:22.945 was not enough to challenge McLaren's pace.

In contrast, Nico Hulkenberg, in his last appearance with Haas, delivered a surprise by taking fourth with a time of 1:22.886. Hulkenberg briefly led the Q3 session before being overtaken by McLaren's final laps.

The qualifying session was marked by incidents, including Charles Leclerc's elimination in Q2. The Ferrari driver lost his fastest lap for exceeding track limits at Turn 1, dropping him to 14th. Combined with a battery change penalty, the Monegasque driver will start from the back row.

In Q1, Lewis Hamilton was among the day's surprises, being eliminated in 18th position. The Mercedes driver was hindered by a dislodged bollard after Kevin Magnussen's error, compromising his final flying lap. This result marked a difficult end to the Briton's final outing with Mercedes.

Behind McLaren's dominance, Pierre Gasly placed his Alpine in sixth, followed by George Russell, who set the pace for Mercedes in seventh. Fernando Alonso secured eighth for Aston Martin, while Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Pérez completed the top ten. For Pérez, this could be his last race in the category, adding further intrigue to the weekend.