2020 F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix qualifying results, full grid lineup
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen will start the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix from pole position for the final round of the 2020 Formula 1 World Championship season, after beating the Mercedes duo to P1 in a thrilling Q3 session.
Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton returned for this weekend after missing the Sakhir GP due to testing positive for Covid-19 and looked to be embroiled in a battle for pole with Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas – but Verstappen crashed their party with an epic Q3 lap.
In the top-10 shootout, Hamilton set the bar on the first run at 1m35.550s but Bottas eclipsed that with 1m35.415s, and Verstappen pushed Hamilton down to third by 0.031s.
Hamilton unleashed a 1m35.332s on the second run, but Bottas beat him with a 1m35.271s, before Verstappen crossed the line with a session-topping 1m35.246s. It was his first pole since Brazil 2019.
Lando Norris (McLaren) was best of the rest, ahead of Alex Albon (Red Bull), Carlos Sainz (McLaren), Daniil Kvyat (AlphaTauri), Lance Stroll (Racing Point), Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) and Pierre Gasly (AlphaTauri).
Leclerc has a three-place grid penalty for causing a Lap 1 crash in last weekend’s Sakhir GP.
In Qualifying 2, Mercedes ran the medium tyres with Hamilton setting the pace at 1m35.466, 0.061s ahead of Bottas. Verstappen was third fastest, also on mediums, ahead of Albon, who led the soft users.
Knocked out at this point were the Renaults of Esteban Ocon and Daniel Ricciardo, Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari), Antonio Giovinazzi (Alfa Romeo) and Sergio Perez, who just used this session to prep some tyres for the race due to a grid penalty.
In Qualifying 1, Bottas set the pace 1m35.699s, initially 0.098s ahead of Hamilton, who ran wide at the penultimate corner and had his time deleted as a result. That meant Hamilton had to run again, after his floor was checked for damage, and he set the fastest time on a second set of soft tyres 1m35.528s.
Falling at the first hurdle were Kimi Raikkonen’s Alfa Romeo, the Haas of Kevin Magnussen, Williams’s George Russell, the second Haas of Pietro Fittipaldi and Nicholas Latifi (who spun his Williams on his final run).
Both Perez and Magnussen will start from the back of the grid due to engine change-related grid penalties.
F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix qualifying grid results
| Cla | Driver | Chassis | Engine | Time | Gap | km/h | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Max Verstappen |  | Red Bull | Honda | 1'35.246 | ||
| 2 |  Valtteri Bottas |  | Mercedes | Mercedes | 1'35.271 | 0.025 | |
| 3 |  Lewis Hamilton |  | Mercedes | Mercedes | 1'35.332 | 0.086 | |
| 4 | Lando Norris |  | McLaren | Renault | 1'35.497 | 0.251 | |
| 5 |  Alex Albon |  | Red Bull | Honda | 1'35.571 | 0.325 | |
| 6 |  Carlos Sainz Jr. |  | McLaren | Renault | 1'35.815 | 0.569 | |
| 7 |  Daniil Kvyat |  | AlphaTauri | Honda | 1'35.963 | 0.717 | |
| 8 |  Lance Stroll |  | Racing Point | Mercedes | 1'36.046 | 0.800 | |
| 9 |  Pierre Gasly |  | AlphaTauri | Honda | 1'36.242 | 0.996 | |
| 10 | Esteban Ocon |  | Renault | Renault | 1'36.359 | 1.113 | |
| 11 |  Daniel Ricciardo |  | Renault | Renault | 1'36.406 | 1.160 | |
| 12 |  Charles Leclerc |  | Ferrari | Ferrari | 1'36.065 | 0.819 | |
| 13 |  Sebastian Vettel | | Ferrari | Ferrari | 1'36.631 | 1.385 | |
| 14 |  Antonio Giovinazzi |  | Alfa Romeo | Ferrari | 1'38.248 | 3.002 | |
| 15 | Kimi Raikkonen |  | Alfa Romeo | Ferrari | 1'37.555 | 2.309 | |
| 16 | George Russell |  | Williams | Mercedes | 1'38.045 | 2.799 | |
| 17 |  Pietro Fittipaldi |  | Haas | Ferrari | 1'38.173 | 2.927 | |
| 18 | Nicholas Latifi |  | Williams | Mercedes | 1'38.443 | 3.197 | |
| 19 |  Kevin Magnussen |  | Haas | Ferrari | 1'37.863 | 2.617 | |
| 20 |  Sergio Perez |  | Racing Point | Mercedes | |||
| View full results | |||||||
F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix qualifying Q3 results
| Cla | Driver | Chassis | Engine | Laps | Time | Gap | Interval | km/h | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Max Verstappen |  | Red Bull | Honda | 19 | 1'35.246 | 209.923 | ||
| 2 | Valtteri Bottas |  | Mercedes | Mercedes | 18 | 1'35.271 | 0.025 | 0.025 | 209.868 |
| 3 | Lewis Hamilton |  | Mercedes | Mercedes | 20 | 1'35.332 | 0.086 | 0.061 | 209.734 |
| 4 | Lando Norris |  | McLaren | Renault | 17 | 1'35.497 | 0.251 | 0.165 | 209.372 |
| 5 | Alex Albon |  | Red Bull | Honda | 15 | 1'35.571 | 0.325 | 0.074 | 209.209 |
| 6 | Carlos Sainz Jr. |  | McLaren | Renault | 14 | 1'35.815 | 0.569 | 0.244 | 208.677 |
| 7 | Daniil Kvyat | | AlphaTauri | Honda | 20 | 1'35.963 | 0.717 | 0.148 | 208.355 |
| 8 | Lance Stroll |  | Racing Point | Mercedes | 15 | 1'36.046 | 0.800 | 0.083 | 208.175 |
| 9 | Charles Leclerc |  | Ferrari | Ferrari | 20 | 1'36.065 | 0.819 | 0.019 | 208.134 |
| 10 | Pierre Gasly |  | AlphaTauri | Honda | 20 | 1'36.242 | 0.996 | 0.177 | 207.751 |
| View full results | |||||||||
F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix qualifying Q2 results
| Cla | Driver | Chassis | Engine | Laps | Time | Gap | Interval | km/h | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lewis Hamilton |  | Mercedes | Mercedes | 6 | 1'35.466 | 209.440 | ||
| 2 | Valtteri Bottas | | Mercedes | Mercedes | 6 | 1'35.527 | 0.061 | 0.061 | 209.306 |
| 3 | Max Verstappen | | Red Bull | Honda | 7 | 1'35.641 | 0.175 | 0.114 | 209.056 |
| 4 | Alex Albon | | Red Bull | Honda | 6 | 1'35.654 | 0.188 | 0.013 | 209.028 |
| 5 | Lando Norris |  | McLaren | Renault | 5 | 1'35.849 | 0.383 | 0.195 | 208.603 |
| 6 | Charles Leclerc |  | Ferrari | Ferrari | 6 | 1'35.932 | 0.466 | 0.083 | 208.422 |
| 7 | Lance Stroll |  | Racing Point | Mercedes | 6 | 1'36.143 | 0.677 | 0.211 | 207.965 |
| 8 | Carlos Sainz Jr. |  | McLaren | Renault | 5 | 1'36.192 | 0.726 | 0.049 | 207.859 |
| 9 | Daniil Kvyat |  | AlphaTauri | Honda | 6 | 1'36.214 | 0.748 | 0.022 | 207.811 |
| 10 | Pierre Gasly | | AlphaTauri | Honda | 6 | 1'36.282 | 0.816 | 0.068 | 207.664 |
| 11 | Esteban Ocon |  | Renault | Renault | 6 | 1'36.359 | 0.893 | 0.077 | 207.499 |
| 12 | Daniel Ricciardo | | Renault | Renault | 6 | 1'36.406 | 0.940 | 0.047 | 207.397 |
| 13 | Sebastian Vettel |  | Ferrari | Ferrari | 6 | 1'36.631 | 1.165 | 0.225 | 206.914 |
| 14 | Antonio Giovinazzi |  | Alfa Romeo | Ferrari | 6 | 1'38.248 | 2.782 | 1.617 | 203.509 |
| 15 | Sergio Perez |  | Racing Point | Mercedes | 1 | ||||
| View full results | |||||||||
F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix qualifying Q1 results
| Cla | Driver | Chassis | Engine | Laps | Time | Gap | Interval | km/h | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lewis Hamilton | | Mercedes | Mercedes | 8 | 1'35.528 | 209.304 | ||
| 2 | Valtteri Bottas | | Mercedes | Mercedes | 6 | 1'35.699 | 0.171 | 0.171 | 208.930 |
| 3 | Charles Leclerc |  | Ferrari | Ferrari | 8 | 1'35.881 | 0.353 | 0.182 | 208.533 |
| 4 | Max Verstappen |  | Red Bull | Honda | 6 | 1'35.993 | 0.465 | 0.112 | 208.290 |
| 5 | Lando Norris | | McLaren | Renault | 6 | 1'36.016 | 0.488 | 0.023 | 208.240 |
| 6 | Sergio Perez |  | Racing Point | Mercedes | 3 | 1'36.034 | 0.506 | 0.018 | 208.201 |
| 7 | Alex Albon |  | Red Bull | Honda | 3 | 1'36.106 | 0.578 | 0.072 | 208.045 |
| 8 | Daniil Kvyat |  | AlphaTauri | Honda | 8 | 1'36.459 | 0.931 | 0.353 | 207.283 |
| 9 | Lance Stroll | | Racing Point | Mercedes | 3 | 1'36.502 | 0.974 | 0.043 | 207.191 |
| 10 | Carlos Sainz Jr. | | McLaren | Renault | 3 | 1'36.517 | 0.989 | 0.015 | 207.159 |
| 11 | Pierre Gasly |  | AlphaTauri | Honda | 8 | 1'36.545 | 1.017 | 0.028 | 207.099 |
| 12 | Sebastian Vettel |  | Ferrari | Ferrari | 6 | 1'36.655 | 1.127 | 0.110 | 206.863 |
| 13 | Daniel Ricciardo | | Renault | Renault | 3 | 1'36.704 | 1.176 | 0.049 | 206.758 |
| 14 | Esteban Ocon |  | Renault | Renault | 6 | 1'36.783 | 1.255 | 0.079 | 206.590 |
| 15 | Antonio Giovinazzi |  | Alfa Romeo | Ferrari | 6 | 1'37.075 | 1.547 | 0.292 | 205.968 |
| 16 | Kimi Raikkonen |  | Alfa Romeo | Ferrari | 6 | 1'37.555 | 2.027 | 0.480 | 204.955 |
| 17 | Kevin Magnussen |  | Haas | Ferrari | 9 | 1'37.863 | 2.335 | 0.308 | 204.310 |
| 18 | George Russell |  | Williams | Mercedes | 8 | 1'38.045 | 2.517 | 0.182 | 203.930 |
| 19 | Pietro Fittipaldi |  | Haas | Ferrari | 9 | 1'38.173 | 2.645 | 0.128 | 203.664 |
| 20 | Nicholas Latifi |  | Williams | Mercedes | 7 | 1'38.443 | 2.915 | 0.270 | 203.106 |
| View full results | |||||||||
F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix qualifying as it happened
Related video
Previous article
Abu Dhabi GP: Verstappen beats Mercedes duo to pole
Next article
Hamilton says weeks off made him lose momentum
About this article
| Series | Formula 1 |
| Event | Abu Dhabi GP |
| Author | Charles Bradley |
Sebastian Vettel explains why Aston Martin
Aston Martin AMR21 Unveiling
The updates Williams hopes will lead to a point-scoring return
After producing a car which demonstrated progress but lacked the points to prove it last year, Williams starts its new era of team ownership with the FW43B, its bid to continue the climb up the Formula 1 grid in 2021
How Ferrari plans to recover from its 2020 F1 nightmare
The 2020 Formula 1 season was Ferrari's worst for 40 years as it slumped to sixth in the standings. A repeat performance will not be acceptable for the proud Italian team, which has adopted a notably pragmatic approach to forging its path back to the top
Why Aston Martin’s arrival is more than just new green livery
In the most eagerly anticipated Formula 1 team launch of the season, the rebranded Aston Martin squad’s changes go much further than the striking paint job. But rather than a restart, the team hopes to build on top of solid foundations.
The car Aston Martin begins its new F1 journey with
The team formerly known as Racing Point gambled successfully on a Mercedes look-alike in 2020 as it mounted a strong challenge for third in the constructors' race and won the Sakhir GP. Now clothed in British racing green, Aston Martin's first Formula 1 challenger since 1960 provides the clearest indicator yet of what to expect from the new-for-2021 regulations
The tricky driver conundrums facing Mercedes in F1 2021
Ahead of the new Formula 1 season, reigning world champions Mercedes will take on challenges both old and new. This also can be said for its driver conundrum which could become key to sustaining its ongoing success...
How Alpine's cure to 2021 F1 rules starts at the front
A new name, new faces and new colours pulls the rebranded Alpine Formula 1 team into a new era while carrying over core elements of its 2020 car. But under the surface there's more than meets the eye with the A521 which hints at how the team will tackle 2021...
Can Mercedes' W12 retain the team's crown?
Replacing Formula 1's fastest car was never going to be an easy feat for Mercedes. Amid the technical rule tweaks to peg back the W12 and its 2021 rivals, the new Mercedes challenger will remain the target to beat
The pointed note that starts Ferrari's Leclerc vs Sainz era
Ferrari is starting its post-Sebastian Vettel age by welcoming Carlos Sainz in alongside Charles Leclerc. But while Sainz has a tough challenge to match his new teammate, Ferrari is also sending a message that previous intra-team spats must end
