Max Verstappen took his seventh pole position of the 2022 Formula 1 season with a dominant performance in qualifying for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, to lead a Red Bull 1-2 on the starting grid at Yas Marina.
Verstappen had two laps that were good enough for top spot in Q3 as he put his Brazil team orders controversy behind him to blitz the field at the Yas Marina Circuit. He will start alongside teammate Sergio Perez, in what is a Noah’s Ark grid on the first three rows.
Having struggles in practice, Ferrari came alive as the temperatures cooled to take third with Charles Leclerc and fourth with Carlos Sainz on the starting grid.
Lewis Hamilton‘s hopes of keeping his streak of winning a race in every season he’s competed in since his F1 debut in 2007 took a hit as he will only start from fifth, next to teammate George Russell.
Lando Norris was the best of the midfield in seventh, ahead of Esteban Ocon which is important for McLaren‘s slim chances of beating Alpine to fourth place in the constructors’ championsihp.
The retiring Sebastian Vettel will line up from ninth, in front of Daniel Ricciardo who could also be driving in his final Grand Prix weekend.
Here is the full starting grid for the 2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix from the Yas Marina Circuit.
2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Starting Grid
| Pos. | Driver | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull |
| 2 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull |
| 3 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari |
| 4 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari |
| 5 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes |
| 6 | George Russell | Mercedes |
| 7 | Lando Norris | McLaren |
| 8 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine |
| 9 | Sebastian Vettel | Aston Martin |
| 10 | Fernando Alonso | Alpine |
| 11 | Yuki Tsunoda | AlphaTauri |
| 12 | Mick Schumacher | Haas |
| 13 | Daniel Ricciardo* | McLaren |
| 14 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin |
| 15 | Zhou Guanyu | Alfa Romeo |
| 16 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas |
| 17 | Pierre Gasly | AlphaTauri |
| 18 | Valtteri Bottas | Alfa Romeo |
| 19 | Alex Albon | Williams |
| 20 | Nicolas Latifi | Williams |
- Daniel Ricciardo – 3 place grid penalty – Causing a collision at Brazilian GP
