Front row all papaya a Abu Dhabi: everything is going well at McLaren who now almost have the Constructors’ World Championship in their grasp. Pole position Of Lando Norristhe ninth of his career and eighth of the year, ahead of his teammate Oscar Piastri (the Australian two tenths behind). Behind them the title challenger: la Ferrariwho chases the McLarens with a 21 point gap. But there is only one red one, that of Carlos Sainz.
Sainz: “I dream of the last one in Ferrari with a victory”
The Spaniard was third, just behind Piastri, in his last qualification for Maranello. And he could have even done something more if he hadn’t had a mistake on the last lap. “We managed to progress well during the weekend,” explains Sainz, alluding to some changes made to the set up after free practice 3. “I did some excellent laps, but the McLarens are faster than those two or three tenths. End with a win? That would be everything, I will have nothing to lose, I will go on the attack as I have never done in these qualifying sessions. Excited? The stakes are so high that I haven’t had the chance to get excited.”
Leclerc, bad weekend
He felt them very strongly Charles Leclercfor him a weekend where everything seems to go wrong: he will start last. After ten penalty positions who already made up for it in the first free practice by changing the battery pack after a sleepless night with a stomach ache due to food poisoning, was eliminated in Q2 (14th) after his best time was taken away for exceeding the track limits in Turn 1. Starting at the back, Maranello could consider changing the engine to have a little extra horsepower. Dark-faced, yet still not giving up: “Let’s see if the changes made to the car help us. As for me, I made mistakes and exceeded the limits of the track, I took other positions. I hope to get back into the race.”
Vasseur: “We will fight until the last corner”
The Maranello team principal, Fred Vasseurpostpones the last words until tomorrow: “Carlos excellent qualification, he missed out on 2nd place due to a small mistake. With Charles it’s different: we knew that in the best possible scenario, he would finish 11th. We can try a different strategy with him so he doesn’t get stuck in traffic. On the eve of the match it was very difficult on paper, after the penalty extremely difficult, now even more so. But we will fight until the last corner. Without taking too many risks.”
Hamilton’s last with Mercedes
Leclerc disappointed like his next teammate, Lewis Hamiltonwho at the last qualification with the Mercedes he only remedies bitterness: he is eliminated in the first round, after having taken a rubber pole under the car moved by Magnussen on the track as he tried to move to make room for him. He will start 18th on a track where he has the record for successes (5) and poles (5). And he says: “It wasn’t bad luck, we got the timing of going out on the track wrong.”
Norris: “Perfect day”
Everything goes smoothly for the McLarens. Norris: “Perfect day for us, tougher than we hoped, but good with 1-2. We wanted to end like this. Will we look for a double? We will have to beat the Ferraris, we know what to do.” Piastri: “More complicated than last night, the last lap I missed something again, but the front row is ideal for the team”. Losing the Constructors’ title, which McLaren has lacked since 1998, seems truly impossible.
Surprise ruined for Hulkenberg
After achieving his best qualifying result of the season, fourth place behind Sainz, Haas’ Nico Hulkenberg was demoted three places on the grid for failing to follow the race director’s instructions in overtaking two cars on the way out of the pits . The German driver was therefore demoted to seventh on the grid, behind Pierre Gasly and George Russell.
#Norris #pole #Abu #Dhabi #front #row #McLaren #Leclerc #disaster #start
–
