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Max Verstappen sent a clear message to his Red Bull team after qualifying on pole for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Saturday, saying he hopes to have some fun during Sunday’s race. Lando Norris qualified second, while Oscar Piastri will start the final race of the 2025 season from third.
Verstappen did everything he could to secure pole for the Abu Dhabi GP, beating Lando Norris by two tenths of a second. The Dutchman will still need help from elsewhere to win a fifth world championship because Norris will claim his maiden title if he finishes on the podium, regardless of any other results.
Even so, Verstappen was understandably delighted after taking pole at the Yas Marina Circuit, especially since he looked slower than Norris during practice earlier in the weekend. After being told he would start first by Gianpiero Lambiase, Verstappen said over the radio:
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"Let's f***ing go guys! That was insane, yes! Lovely!"
He followed that with a message for his Red Bull crew, saying:
"Fantastic work guys. That's a great qualifying. Let's have some fun out there tomorrow!"
The tight margins across the field highlighted the quality of Max Verstappen's lap. At the end of Q2, the top 15 drivers were separated by just over three-tenths of a second, showing how close the qualifying was in Abu Dhabi. Verstappen’s rapid 1:22.207 in Q3 stood out even more as he cleared Norris by two tenths alone.
A P2 start, though, is far from a setback for Norris. He trailed his teammate Oscar Piastri through most of Q3 before jumping ahead of the Aussie on his final lap. That gives the 26-year-old a strong position to manage his race, and he can win the title on Sunday by simply holding on to second place.
Max Verstappen previews championship decider after stellar Abu Dhabi GP qualifying
Max Verstappen explained that his aim remains to try and win the race after qualifying in pole for the Abu Dhabi GP, even though it may not be enough to secure the drivers' title. He added that he needed something lucky to happen behind him on Sunday, as Lando Norris has qualified in P2.
Speaking in the post-race interview, Verstappen shared his thoughts about Sunday's race, saying:
"Let' see what we can do. Of course I'll try to win the race but also in the back of my mind we want to score a lot of points and still try to win that championship. We need a bit of luck from what is happening behind us."
Speaking about the qualifying session itself, Max Verstappen explained that he was delighted with the result, as he secured his eighth pole of the 2025 season. The 28-year-old said that all he could do was maximize his own result, and he certainly did so on Saturday.
