Abu Dhabi GP Qualifying: Max Verstappen beats Sergio Perez to final F1 2022 pole as Mercedes fall back

Max Verstappen on pole and 0.2s from Sergio Perez; Ferraris on the second row, only Lewis Hamilton and George Russell fifth and sixth; Sebastian Vettel participated in the final race in ninth place; Watch the Abu Dhabi GP live on Sky Sports F1 at 1pm on Sunday, with coverage from 11.30am.

Max Verstappen will start the final race of 2022 that he dominated after beating Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez at the Abu Dhabi GP which saw Mercedes’ threat disappear.

Mercedes couldn’t replicate what they did in Brazil, or Abu Dhabi, when the lights went out at Yas Marina on Saturday and they were overtaken by Ferrari as Red Bull’s biggest challengers – although the Q3 finish was a tight battle between them. Verstappen and Perez.

Perez drove fast through qualifying but reigning world champion Verstappen rode both his cushions in the final lap – everything could have been better, eventually beating the Mexican by 0.2s.

Following the controversy that the team ordered last week, Verstappen also gave Perez, who is aiming for second place in the race, a helping hand.

Charles Leclerc, closed on points with Perez in the standings, finished third for Ferrari, just four hundredths of a second from the second Red Bull, and Carlos Sainz will join him on the second row in the final race of 2022. which is on Sky Sports F1 on Sunday at 1pm and builds from 11.30am.

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Ride with Max Verstappen as the Dutchman chases down Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez in Abu Dhabi.

In the six groups of two, Lewis Hamilton – after escaping a penalty shortly before the shootout due to fear of the red color at the end – and George Russell managed to manage the number five and six for Mercedes.

While Lando Norris was the “best of the rest” in seventh place for McLaren, bested by Daniel Ricciardo and in 10 races, the shooting star left behind four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel.

Vettel, dodging the last cars, came out of Q1 and then Q2 in his Aston Martin and finished ninth, five places higher than teammate Lance Stroll.

Fernando Alonso was never caught off guard in the final shootout as Kevin Magnussen followed up the first stage of his career in Brazil with a Q1 exit in Abu Dhabi, in 16th.

Abu Dhabi GP Qualifying Results
1) Max Verstappen, Red Bull
2) Sergio Perez, Red Bull
3) Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
4) Carlos Sanz, Ferrari
5) Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
6) George Russell, Mercedes
7) Lando Norris, McLaren
8) Esteban Ocon, Alpine
9) Sebastian Vettel, Aston Martin
10) Daniel Ricciardo, McLaren

Abu Dhabi GP: Schedule of the Week live on Sky Sports F1

8:55am: Abu Dhabi F2 Feature Race
11:30am: Grand Prix Sunday: Abu Dhabi GP Build-up
1pm: THE ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX
3pm: Checkered Flag: Abu Dhabi GP Reaction
4pm: Ted’s Notebook
5pm: Highlights of the Abu Dhabi GP

More to follow…