2023 F1 Abu Dhabi GP qualifying results: Verstappen takes pole
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen took pole position for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the final round of the 2023 Formula 1 World Championship.
Verstappen will start ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri after the one-hour qualifying session, which is split into three segments with five cars each being knocked out in Q1 and Q2 before the top-10 shootout of Q3.
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix grid: Verstappen on pole from Leclerc
| Cla | Nº | Driver | Car / Engine | Time | Delay |
| 1 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull/Honda RBPT | 1'23.445 | |
| 2 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1'23.584 | 0.139 |
| 3 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren/Mercedes | 1'23.782 | 0.337 |
| 4 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1'23.788 | 0.343 |
| 5 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren/Mercedes | 1'23.816 | 0.371 |
| 6 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | AlphaTauri/Honda RBPT | 1'23.968 | 0.523 |
| 7 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin/Mercedes | 1'24.084 | 0.639 |
| 8 | 27 | Nico Hülkenberg | Haas/Ferrari | 1'24.108 | 0.663 |
| 9 | 11 | Sergio Pérez | Red Bull/Honda RBPT | 1'24.171 | 0.726 |
| 10 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine/Renault | 1'24.548 | 1.103 |
| 11 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1'24.359 | 0.914 |
| 12 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine/Renault | 1'24.391 | 0.946 |
| 13 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin/Mercedes | 1'24.422 | 0.977 |
| 14 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams/Mercedes | 1'24.439 | 0.994 |
| 15 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | AlphaTauri/Honda RBPT | 1'24.442 | 0.997 |
| 16 | 55 | Carlos Sainz Jr. | Ferrari | 1'24.738 | 1.293 |
| 17 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas/Ferrari | 1'24.764 | 1.319 |
| 18 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Alfa Romeo/Ferrari | 1'24.788 | 1.343 |
| 19 | 24 | Zhou Guanyu | Alfa Romeo/Ferrari | 1'25.159 | 1.714 |
| 20 | 2 | Logan Sargeant | Williams/Mercedes | - | - |
What happened in Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Q1?
Verstappen produced the fastest time of 1m24.160s, 0.049s ahead of team-mate Perez.
Falling at the first hurdle were Carlos Sainz (Ferrari), Kevin Magnussen (Haas), the Alfa Romeos of Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu, and Logan Sargeant (Williams, who lost both his flying laptimes due to exceeding track limits).
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Q1 results: Verstappen fastest from Perez
| Cla | Nº | Driver | Car / Engine | Time | Delay | Laps |
| 1 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull/Honda RBPT | 1'24.160 | 6 | |
| 2 | 11 | Sergio Pérez | Red Bull/Honda RBPT | 1'24.209 | 0.049 | 6 |
| 3 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | AlphaTauri/Honda RBPT | 1'24.286 | 0.126 | 6 |
| 4 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams/Mercedes | 1'24.298 | 0.138 | 6 |
| 5 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1'24.337 | 0.177 | 6 |
| 6 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren/Mercedes | 1'24.368 | 0.208 | 5 |
| 7 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin/Mercedes | 1'24.405 | 0.245 | 6 |
| 8 | 27 | Nico Hülkenberg | Haas/Ferrari | 1'24.425 | 0.265 | 6 |
| 9 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1'24.437 | 0.277 | 6 |
| 10 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1'24.459 | 0.299 | 6 |
| 11 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | AlphaTauri/Honda RBPT | 1'24.461 | 0.301 | 6 |
| 12 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren/Mercedes | 1'24.487 | 0.327 | 6 |
| 13 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin/Mercedes | 1'24.501 | 0.341 | 6 |
| 14 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine/Renault | 1'24.565 | 0.405 | 6 |
| 15 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine/Renault | 1'24.600 | 0.440 | 6 |
| 16 | 55 | Carlos Sainz Jr. | Ferrari | 1'24.738 | 0.578 | 6 |
| 17 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas/Ferrari | 1'24.764 | 0.604 | 6 |
| 18 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Alfa Romeo/Ferrari | 1'24.788 | 0.628 | 6 |
| 19 | 24 | Zhou Guanyu | Alfa Romeo/Ferrari | 1'25.159 | 0.999 | 6 |
| - | 2 | Logan Sargeant | Williams/Mercedes | - | - | 6 |
What happened in Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Q2?
Verstappen set the pace here too, recording a 1m23.740s on his opening run, 0.18s quicker than McLaren’s Lando Norris.
Knocked out at this point were Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes), Esteban Ocon (Alpine), Lance Stroll (Aston Martin), Alex Albon (Williams) and Daniel Ricciardo (AlphaTauri).
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Q2 results: Verstappen fastest from Norris
| Cla | Nº | Driver | Car / Engine | Time | Delay | Laps |
| 1 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull/Honda RBPT | 1'23.740 | 3 | |
| 2 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren/Mercedes | 1'23.920 | 0.180 | 5 |
| 3 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1'23.969 | 0.229 | 6 |
| 4 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1'24.013 | 0.273 | 6 |
| 5 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine/Renault | 1'24.078 | 0.338 | 6 |
| 6 | 11 | Sergio Pérez | Red Bull/Honda RBPT | 1'24.116 | 0.376 | 5 |
| 7 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin/Mercedes | 1'24.131 | 0.391 | 6 |
| 8 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | AlphaTauri/Honda RBPT | 1'24.207 | 0.467 | 6 |
| 9 | 27 | Nico Hülkenberg | Haas/Ferrari | 1'24.213 | 0.473 | 6 |
| 10 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren/Mercedes | 1'24.278 | 0.538 | 5 |
| 11 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1'24.359 | 0.619 | 6 |
| 12 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine/Renault | 1'24.391 | 0.651 | 6 |
| 13 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin/Mercedes | 1'24.422 | 0.682 | 6 |
| 14 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams/Mercedes | 1'24.439 | 0.699 | 6 |
| 15 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | AlphaTauri/Honda RBPT | 1'24.442 | 0.702 | 6 |
What happened in Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Q3?
On the first runs, Verstappen set the bar at 1m23.445s, 0.371s faster than Norris.
On the final runs, Verstappen didn’t improve but Leclerc jumped up to second, 0.139s off pole.
Piastri grabbed third from Norris, who made a big error on his final lap, and George Russell (Mercedes) just snatched fourth from his fellow Brit.
Behind Norris, Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri) will start sixth, ahead of Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin), Nico Hulkenberg (Haas), Perez (whose best time was deleted) and Pierre Gasly (Alpine).
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Q3 results: Verstappen takes pole
| Cla | Nº | Driver | Car / Engine | Time | Delay | Laps |
| 1 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull/Honda RBPT | 1'23.445 | 6 | |
| 2 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1'23.584 | 0.139 | 6 |
| 3 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren/Mercedes | 1'23.782 | 0.337 | 6 |
| 4 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1'23.788 | 0.343 | 6 |
| 5 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren/Mercedes | 1'23.816 | 0.371 | 6 |
| 6 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | AlphaTauri/Honda RBPT | 1'23.968 | 0.523 | 6 |
| 7 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin/Mercedes | 1'24.084 | 0.639 | 6 |
| 8 | 27 | Nico Hülkenberg | Haas/Ferrari | 1'24.108 | 0.663 | 6 |
| 9 | 11 | Sergio Pérez | Red Bull/Honda RBPT | 1'24.171 | 0.726 | 6 |
| 10 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine/Renault | 1'24.548 | 1.103 | 6 |
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