Title: Piastri Seeks Championship Boost After Qualifying Third in Abu Dhabi
Piastri Sixth as Verstappen Claims Abu Dhabi Grand Prix pole
Abu Dhabi, UAE – December 2, 2023 – Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing secured pole position for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, concluding qualifying with a blistering lap time of 1:22.295. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri will start sixth on the grid, while teammate Lando Norris qualified in second, narrowly behind Verstappen.
the qualifying session at the Yas Marina circuit saw Verstappen leverage a tow from Yuki Tsunoda to set his pole-winning time, outpacing Norris by four-tenths of a second. Lando norris secured his front-row start, demonstrating McLaren’s continued strong pace. George Russell of Mercedes qualified third, followed by Charles Leclerc of Ferrari and Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin. piastri’s sixth-place qualifying position positions him well for a strong race finish.
qualifying Results:
- Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing) – 1:22.295
- Lando Norris (McLaren)
- George Russell (mercedes)
- Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
- Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
- oscar Piastri (McLaren)
- Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber)
- Esteban Ocon (Haas)
- Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls)
- Yuki Tsunoda (Racing Bulls)
Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton will start 16th after being eliminated in Q1 for the third consecutive race, marking a rare occurrence for the Ferrari driver. Alex Albon (Williams), Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber), Pierre Gasly (Alpine), and Gabriel Colapinto (Alpine) also exited in Q1.Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes), Oliver Bearman (Haas), Carlos Sainz (Williams), Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls), and Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) were eliminated in Q2.
Verstappen’s strategic use of a tow and his final lap performance underscored his remarkable speed. Russell briefly requested a similar tow from his team, but Verstappen ultimately needed no assistance to secure pole. The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is the final race of the 2023 Formula 1 season.