In the most important qualifying of the season, for determining the grid positions for the race that concludes the longest championship in 72 editions of the Formula 1 World Cup and, most importantly, deciding the 2021 title, with Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton in Point equalization at the top of the drivers’ standings, the Red Bull-Honda driver defeated his rival Mercedes by 0.371 s on the lap at the 5.281 km of the Yas Marina and secured ‘pole position’ for the 22nd grand prix of the season (he managed to get it -a for the 10th time this year and 13th in the motor sport’s queen category).
Max, who has an advantage in the direct confrontation with Lewis, as he has 1 more victory in 2021 than his rival (9 against 8), is in a very privileged position to become world champion for the 1st time, too. for starting the race with softer tires than Hamilton (soft on the Red Bull-Honda, medium on the Mercedes), which theoretically guarantees an advantage at the start. In addition, statistics benefit you: at Yas Marina in Abu Dhabi, since 2015 (6 grand prix), the «pole position» in qualifying is synonymous with victory in the race!
Tomorrow, the 58-lap race, the most anticipated and exciting of the 2021 season, is scheduled to start at 13.00 hours in mainland Portugal.
Classification and starting grid (provisional):
1.º Max Verstappen, Red Bull-Honda, 1.22,109 m
2.º Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, +0,371 s
3rd Lando Norris, McLaren-Mercedes, +0.822 s
4th Sergio Pérez, Red Bull-Honda, +0.838 s
5.º Carlos Sainz Jr., Ferrari, +0,883 s
6.º Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes, +0,927 s
7.º Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, +1,013 s
8.º Yuki Tsotaka, AlphaTauri-Honda, +1,111 s
9.º Esteban Ocon, Alpine-Renault, +1,280 s
10.º Daniel Ricciardo, McLaren-Mercedes, +1,300 s
ELIMINATED IN Q2
11.º Fernando Alonso, Alpine-Renault, 1.23,460 m
12.º Pierre Gasly, AlphaTauri-Honda, 1.24,043 m
13.º Lance Stroll, Aston Martin-Mercedes, 1.24,066 m
14.º Antonio Giovinazzi, Alfa Romeo-Ferrari, 1.24.251 m
15.º Sebastian Vettel, Aston Martin-Mercedes, 1.24,305 m
ELIMINATED IN Q3
16.º Nicholas Latifi, Williams-Mercedes, 1,24,338 m
17.º George Russell, Williams-Mercedes, 1.24,423 m
18.º Kimi Räikkönen, Alfa Romeo-Ferrari, 1.24,779 m
19.º Mick Schumacher, Haas-Ferrari, 1.24,906 m
20.º Nikita Mazepin, Haas-Ferrari, 1.25,685 m
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