Verstappen takes Abu Dhabi pole as Red Bull locks out the front row

Max Verstappen edged out Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and teammate Sergio Perez to claim the Abu Dhabi pole position ahead of the season finale.

Red Bull duo Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez will start the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix tomorrow on the front row thanks to their outstanding performance in the season’s last qualifying session today.

Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz secured the second row of the grid for Ferrari as Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, driving for Mercedes, had to settle with fifth and sixth place.

Esteban Ocon of Alpine finished in P7, followed by McLaren’s Lando Norris, Sebastian Vettel, and Daniel Ricciardo, who completed the top 10. Fernando Alonso in the sister Alpine will start from 11th place after narrowly missing out on the top ten slots.

AlphaTauri driver Yuki Tsunoda was the fastest in Q1 with a timing of 1m26.135s, a tenth faster than Schumacher. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc then immediately surpassed the Japanese’s lap time with a 1m25.211s, but only a short while later did Red Bull’s Sergio Perez go nearly 0.4s faster.

Reigning world champion Max Verstappen later outran his Mexican teammate by 0.066 seconds on the first hot lap. Meanwhile, Carlos Sainz moved his Ferrari SF-75 into third place after making a mistake on his initial attempt.

Most drivers chose a new set of C5 compound for their second run, with the exception of the Ferrari duo, while the Mercedes and Red Bull drivers continued to use the red-walled tyres they had used for their previous flying laps.

Aston Martin driver Sebastian Vettel was the biggest shock, turning in a strong lap to finish sixth at the end of the first phase of qualifying. Kevin Magnussen was unable to advance from Q1 despite his shock pole position the last time out at Sao Paulo just one week ago, with the Danish driver blaming traffic. 

Alexander Albon narrowly edged out teammate Nicholas Latifi by a few thousandths of a second in Free Practice 3, despite turning some impressive laps he was not able to advance to Q2. At the conclusion of Q1, Kevin Magnussen, Pierre Gasly, Valtteri Bottas, Alexander Albon, and Nicholas Latifi were eliminated.

Quite early in the second qualifying session, Mercedes sent its drivers out onto the Yas Marina circuit. Hamilton posted a time of 1m25.722s on their used soft tires from Q1, but Russell outperformed him by 0.4s.

Perez stunned the competitors with a massive lap time of 1m24.419s, which put him 0.4s ahead of teammate Verstappen. Vettel turned in another excellent lap to finish only 0.5 seconds slower than Perez earlier in the session despite being repeatedly hampered by traffic.

Only a tenth slower than Perez, Ferrari drivers Leclerc and Sainz put on a stunning display of speed in the closing moments of Q2 on the new C5 tyres.

With Norris and Ricciardo being promoted to the final qualifying round, McLaren was able to maintain their strong performance from Q1. Ocon was able to advance to Q3 for Alpine, McLaren’s main rivals in the Constructors’ Championship, but Fernando Alonso was unable to outperform P11. Alpine’s performance was significantly worse.

At the conclusion of Q2, Lance Stroll, Zhou Guanyu, Mick Schumacher, Yuki Tsunoda, and Fernando Alonso were eliminated.

2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Qualifying Results

Pos.No.DriverCarQ1Q2Q3Laps
11Max VerstappenRed Bull Racing Rbpt1:24.7541:24.6221:23.82417
211Sergio PerezRed Bull Racing Rbpt1:24.8201:24.4191:24.05218
316Charles LeclercFerrari1:25.2111:24.5171:24.09217
455Carlos SainzFerrari1:25.0901:24.5211:24.24216
544Lewis HamiltonMercedes1:25.5941:24.7741:24.50821
663George RussellMercedes1:25.5451:24.9401:24.51120
74Lando NorrisMclaren Mercedes1:25.3871:24.9031:24.76917
831Esteban OconAlpine Renault1:25.7351:25.0071:24.83017
95Sebastian VettelAston Martin Aramco Mercedes1:25.5231:24.9741:24.96118
103Daniel RicciardoMclaren Mercedes1:25.7661:25.0681:25.04515
1114Fernando AlonsoAlpine Renault1:25.7821:25.09612
1222Yuki TsunodaAlphatauri Rbpt1:25.6301:25.21915
1347Mick SchumacherHaas Ferrari1:25.7111:25.22515
1418Lance StrollAston Martin Aramco Mercedes1:25.7411:25.35915
1524Zhou GuanyuAlfa Romeo Ferrari1:25.5941:25.40812
1620Kevin MagnussenHaas Ferrari1:25.8349
1710Pierre GaslyAlphatauri Rbpt1:25.8599
1877Valtteri BottasAlfa Romeo Ferrari1:25.8926
1923Alexander AlbonWilliams Mercedes1:26.0289
206Nicholas LatifiWilliams Mercedes1:26.0549

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Related Posts

Red Bull's slow pitstops Bahrain Grand Prix Christian Horner

Explained: Red Bull’s slow pitstops in Bahrain

Red Bull’s slow pitstops marked the highlight of an uncharacteristically challenging 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix race weekend for the team and Christian Horner has revealed the cause of the rare issue

Max Verstappen responds Red Bull exit Helmut Marko Bahrain

Max Verstappen responds to Red Bull exit fears

Reigning Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen responds to recent Red Bull exit fears raised by Helmut Marko amid the team’s struggles in the early 2025 F1 season

Max Verstappen's baby Kelly Piquet

Max Verstappen’s baby: F1 champion celebrates birth of first child with Kelly Piquet

The joyful news that Max Verstappen’s baby girl, Lily, was born came on Friday as the four-time Formula 1 World Champion and his partner Kelly Piquet took to social media to welcome their first child together. The announcement, made on May 2, 2025, sent waves of congratulations throughout the motorsport world and beyond, marking a new chapter not only in Verstappen’s illustrious career but also in his personal life. Verstappen, at just 27 years old, has already etched his name into the annals of Formula 1 history. His relentless drive, tactical acumen and raw speed have earned him four World Drivers’ Championships, making him one of the sport’s modern legends. Yet, as he shared the first images of his newborn daughter Lily with the world, it was clear that this victory was of a different, profoundly personal nature. In a heartfelt post on social media, Max Verstappen and Kelly Piquet expressed their overwhelming joy, writing, “Welcome to the world, sweet Lily. Our hearts are fuller than ever – you are our greatest gift. We love you so much.” The announcement was accompanied by touching photographs: one of baby Lily’s tiny hand grasping a parent’s finger and another of the new family together, radiating happiness and serenity in the hospital room. Max Verstappen’s baby, Lily, comes at a particularly eventful time. The Red Bull Racing star was scheduled to participate in the Miami Grand Prix – the sixth round of the 2025 Formula 1 season – but he chose to remain in Europe to be by Kelly’s side for the birth of their daughter. Red Bull confirmed his absence from Thursday’s media day, stating, “All is well and he will attend track tomorrow for the race weekend.” This gesture of prioritizing family over professional obligations was met with widespread support and admiration from fans, colleagues, and the wider Formula 1 community. Messages of congratulations poured in from all corners, including from Red Bull principal Christian Horner, Verstappen’s sister Victoria, and fellow drivers such as Alpine’s Jack Doohan and former F1 driver Roberto Merhi Muntan. For Verstappen, fatherhood is a new journey but not an entirely unfamiliar one. Since 2021 he has been in a relationship with Kelly Piquet, a successful model, columnist and media professional who is herself a scion of racing royalty. READ ALSO: Meet Verstappen’s girlfriend, Kelly Piquet who used to date Daniil Kvyat F1 Drivers’ wives and girlfriends: Who are current Formula 1 stars dating? Kelly is the daughter of three-time Formula 1 World Champion Nelson Piquet and Dutch model Sylvia Tamsma and she has carved out her own impressive career in the worlds of fashion, media and public relations. Fluent in multiple languages and with nearly two million followers on Instagram, Kelly’s presence in the paddock is both influential and inspiring. Before welcoming Lily, Kelly was already a mother to Penelope, her daughter from a previous relationship with former F1 driver Daniil Kvyat. Verstappen has embraced the role of a “bonus dad” to Penelope, forming a close bond with her over the years. In his first interview after Lily’s birth, Verstappen reflected on this experience, saying: “I’m kind of like a bonus dad already with my girlfriend having a daughter, so I saw her grow up since she was one.” This foundation, he noted, has helped prepare him for the joys and responsibilities of fatherhood and he expressed confidence that he would find his own unique way to balance his new family life with the demands of elite motorsport. The arrival of Lily was not entirely unexpected by fans and followers of the couple. Verstappen and Piquet had announced the pregnancy in December 2024, sharing a tender image of Verstappen’s hand on Kelly’s belly with the caption: “Mini Verstappen-Piquet on the way. We couldn’t be happier with our little miracle.” The anticipation built steadily over the ensuing months, culminating in the joyous announcement just ahead of the Miami Grand Prix. The timing of Lily’s birth added a layer of poignancy to the Miami race weekend. Verstappen who had recently claimed victory at the Japanese Grand Prix and sits third in the drivers’ standings arrived in Miami late Thursday after spending precious days with his newborn and partner. Despite the whirlwind of travel and the pressures of competition, Verstappen’s demeanor was one of contentment and gratitude. “Luckily, I got to spend a few days with them once she was born,” he told ESPN. “It’s been great. You never really know what to expect but it’s been very enjoyable and very special.” The Formula 1 fraternity also gave overwhelmingly positive sentiments to celebrate Max Verstappen’s baby girl. Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari’s leading driver and Verstappen’s long-time rival, extended his best wishes during the official Miami GP press conference. “I just wish him all the best. It’s such an amazing, special thing. I spoke to him briefly in Saudi and saw how excited he was. Big congrats to him.” The sentiment was echoed by fans and teams alike, with many noting the symbolic significance of Verstappen’s new role as only the second current father on the F1 grid, following Sauber driver Nico Hulkenberg.

About Us

Racetrackmasters started in August 2020 as a digital-only motorsport channel. Our aim is to offer the latest motorsport news and coverage to fans all around the globe.

Recent news

  • All Post
  • Dakar
  • DTM
  • Esports
  • Formula 1
  • Formula 2
  • Formula E
  • IMSA
  • IndyCar
  • MotoGP
  • NASCAR
  • WEC
  • WRC
  • WSBK

All Content © Racetrackmasters 2025