Verstappen springs the unexpected with late pole lap in Abu Dhabi

Red Bull’s Dutch driver Max Verstappen poses for a picture with the Pole Position trophy after the qualifying session on the eve of the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix at the Yas Marina Circuit in the Emirati city of Abu Dhabi on December 12, 2020. – Red Bull’s Max Verstappen claimed his maiden pole position of the campaign on Saturday for the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The Dutch driver edged Valterri Bottas in second and the Finn’s Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton, who is racing for the first time since winning the championship after contracting coronavirus, in third. (Photo by KAMRAN JEBREILI / POOL / AFP)

Max Verstappen left it until the last lap of the final Formula One qualifying session of the season to break the Mercedes stranglehold on pole position and put his Red Bull in the number one slot for Sunday’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

“He’s threaded it together there, an amazing lap at the end,” Red Bull boss Christian Horner told Sky Sports F1.

“I’m just looking at the split times and he’s not the fastest. He’s just made it happen himself.”

The 23-year-old Dutchman beat provisional pole-sitter Valtteri Bottas by just 0.025 seconds, denying Mercedes their 14th front-row lockout from 17 races.

Champion Lewis Hamilton, back in his Mercedes after missing last weekend’s Sakhir Grand Prix with COVID-19, qualified third.

Verstappen had led teammate Alexander Albon in a one-two for Red Bull in Saturday’s final practice session.

But with Mercedes, who have been on pole in Abu Dhabi every year since 2014, believed to be running their cars on a heavier fuel load, normal service was expected to resume for qualifying.

In the end Verstappen’s stunning time of one minute, 35.246 seconds proved enough to give Red Bull their first Yas Marina pole since Mark Webber’s effort in 2013.

“Well Mercedes have been so dominant,” said Horner of his team’s rivals who has started 15 of this season’s 17 races from pole.

“We get to the business end and they really have that pace in that car which has been phenomenal this year.

“It’s been a long season in terms of Saturday afternoons. But to finish the season with a pole… we’ve just got to convert it now.”

Verstappen’s lap yielded the first non-Mercedes pole of the season with Lance Stroll’s Turkish Grand Prix effort set in his Mercedes-engined Racing Point.

Verstappen, who now has three career poles, said Sunday’s race would be a bit of a step into the unknown.

“They’re still very fast,” he said of Mercedes. “But it seems like we have quite decent top speed this weekend so hopefully that will work out for tomorrow.”