Max Verstappen in pole position, relive the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix F1 qualifying session with live text commentary

The stakes have never been higher. Lando Norris, Max Verstappen et Oscar piastri are preparing to compete in the final round which will decide the 2025 world champion Formula 1The three men are separated by just 16 points heading into this final race. At Yas Marina, the three contenders will be aiming for the fastest time to secure pole position and gain an advantage from the start of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

ALSO READ > McLaren refuses to change course in Abu Dhabi: "They are free to fight on the track"

F1 – Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (United Arab Emirates)

Relive the qualifying rounds with commentary

👋 Thank you all for following us! We'll be back live for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix this Sunday from 1pm (French time).

Q3 — 🏆Max Verstappen will start from pole position for the final Grand Prix of the season. Every time he has started from pole position in Abu Dhabi, the driver Red Bull won the race. And if Verstappen wins again while Lando Norris finishes no better than fourth, then the Dutchman will be crowned world champion…

Q3 – The three championship leaders start from the front. However, it is Max Verstappen in pole position ahead of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. 

Q3 – 🏁 Nope! Max Verstappen dominates the Papayas!!! Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris are unable to dislodge the Dutchman who will start from pole position to aim for a fifth world title.

Q3 – 0'00 – ⏱️ 1:22.207 for Max Verstappen

Q3 – 1'00 – Max Verstappen seems unbeatable as the latest times come to an end…

Q3 – 2'00 – The 10 fastest drivers return to the track, all on fresh tires. The suspense is at its peak…

Q3 – 3'30 – George Russell hopes to get a tow from Max Verstappen, who could really use one car to act as a buffer between him and the McLaren race.

Q3 – 4'30 – Before setting off for one last attempt, here is the ranking of the times.

Q3 – 7'00 – The three title contenders are at the top of Q3, but it's Max Verstappen who sets the pace!

Q3 – 8'00 – Norris fails to equal the four-time world champion.

Q3 – 9'00 – ⏱️Max Verstappen is imperious. He takes provisional pole with a time of 1:22.295.

Q3 – 10'00 – Hamilton He is speechless after his latest elimination in Q1. I don't think there are any words to express how sorry I am for the team and the fans. I don't know if it's related to what happened in FP3. " he told Canal+.

🎙️ "There are no words to express how sorry I am for the team."

Lewis Hamilton will start 16th tomorrow.#AbuDhabiGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/VbrMuUYrtU

— CANAL+ F1® (@CanalplusF1) December 6, 2025

Q3 – 11'00 – 🟢 The drivers are once again attacking the Yas Marina circuit. Everything will be decided in the next few minutes for pole position at the Abu Dhabi GP.

Q2 – Kimi Antonelli is furious over the radio about missing Q3 for the last qualifying session of the year. 

Q2 – ❌Oliver Bearman, Carlos Sainz, Liam Lawson, Kimi Antonelli and Lance stroll are eliminated in Q2.

Q2 – 🇫🇷Esteban Ocon reached his first Q3 in 15 Grands Prix, followed by Isack Hadjar.

Q2 – 🏁 The 10 best times are recorded.

Q2 – Seulement 0.367 seconds separates the 15 drivers in Q2. That's close!

Q2 – 0'00 – Yuki tsunoda He reached his first Q3 since Baku (Azerbaijan)! His teammate Max Verstappen will surely thank him if the Japanese driver helps him against the McLarens.

Q2 – 0'00 – The final days are approaching. Tsunoda is in danger.

Q2 – 1'00 – Charles Leclerc He still manages to finish 4th. That should be enough for the driver. Classic Ferrari for sale.

Q2 – 2'30 – Charles Leclerc is struggling! The Monegasque driver is losing time on his flying lap. It's going to be difficult to get into Q3 as the track continues to improve.

Q2 – 3'30 – Oscar Piastri is the first to set off for a final attempt.

Q2 – 5'00 – The drivers are in the pits to head out for a second fast lap in order to try for Q3.

Q2 – 5'30 – Max Verstappen continues to improve on worn tires, but does not dislodge George Russell.

Q2 – 6'00 – Norris is much faster than in Q1 but it's not enough…

Q2 – 8'00 – ⏱️George Russell record holder with a 1:22.730 on new tires.

Q2 – 9'00 – The first times are falling at Yas Marina.

Q2 – 11'00 – ⏱️ On worn tires, Max Verstappen sets the benchmark for Q2 with a time of 1:22.912. This is slightly slower than his Q1 time.

Q2 – 15'00 - Max Verstappen starts on soft tires in this second part of qualifying.

Q2 – 15'00 – Max Verstappen is ready to head out onto the track. The Dutchman is waiting in the pit lane.

Q2 – 15'00 – 🟢 The second part of qualifying for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is ​​underway!

Q1 – ​🇫🇷 Alpine completed his final qualifying session with the engine Renault. Pierre Gasly, who told Canal+ he wanted to finish on a positive note for his team, will only start 19th.

Q1 – Lewis Hamilton, Alex Albon, Nico Hulkenberg, Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto are eliminated in Q1.

Q1 – Lewis Hamilton is only sixteenth, demoted by Gabriel Bortoleto. He will miss out on Q2 by eight thousandths of a second. The Briton has struggled to make it through since the Brazilian Grand Prix.

Q1 – 0'00 – ​🏁 The gaps are very small, Hamilton is in danger.

Q1 – 2'00 – Max Verstappen can't match Oscar Piastri's benchmark time. The Dutchman is only second with a 1:22.877.

Q1 – 1'00 – ⏱️ Oscar Piastri dislodges his teammate and takes the record in 1:22.605.

Q1 – 1'00 – ⏱️ Lando Norris sets the fastest time: 1:23.178.

Q1 – 2'00 – Lando Norris fails to record purple sectors while his teammate Oscar Piastri catches up to Russell's times.

Q1 – 3'00 – The gaps just moments before the end of Q1

Q1 – 5'00 – The twenty drivers have only 5 minutes left to get through Q1. They all switch to soft tires and rush back onto the track.

Q1 – 6'00 – Franco Colapinto has still not recorded a valid time, his time having been deleted twice.

Q1 – 7'00 – With just over half of this first part of qualifying completed, here is the standings!

Q1 – 8'30 – ⏱️ The lap times are dropping lap after lap in Abu Dhabi! George Russell takes 7 thousandths of a second off Bearman and sets a new benchmark!

Q1 – 9'00 – ⏱️ Oliver Bearman moves ahead of Max Verstappen and sets his time at 1:23.254! The Briton is comfortable in his Haas since the start of the weekend.

Q1 – 11'00 – ⏱️ Max Verstappen takes the new fastest time of the session with a 1:23.325.

Q1 – 12'00 – Stroll's time is cancelled

Q1 – 12'30 – Lance Stroll risks having his lap time revoked. The Canadian driver exceeded track limits.

Q1 – 14'30 –⏱️ On soft tires, Nico Hülkenberg sets the benchmark time of 1:23.473

Q1 – 15'00 – Lewis Hamilton, in his repaired single-seater, is already on an attack lap.

Q1 – 15'00 – Some drivers are starting on soft tires while Pierre Gasly and Lewis Hamilton are opting for a medium compound.

Q1 – 18'00 – 🟢 First big moment of this final in Abu Dhabi, the qualifications begin at Yas Marina!

14h58 - In 2024, Lando Norris secured pole position and won the race. Will he repeat that feat this weekend?

14h57 - In the last five editions of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Max Verstappen has secured pole position four times.

14h55 - 16 points. Three drivers. Two teams. Which of Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, and Max Verstappen will secure the final pole position of the 2025 season? Will another contender, perhaps George Russell – fastest in FP3 – disrupt the top three? We'll find out soon.

14h53 - Yuki Tsunoda hasn't appeared in Q3 since the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. More than ever, Red Bull is counting on its second driver… Will he be up to the task?

Can Yuki Tsunoda give Max Verstappen an advantage in Abu Dhabi?

14h50 - In the fifteen editions of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, only five victories have been achieved from a position other than pole. Qualifying is therefore expected to be particularly crucial… especially for the three title contenders.

14h47 -  To pass the time while waiting for Qualifying to start at 3pm, relive Free Practice 3.

Abu Dhabi GP – FP3: Russell ahead of Norris, Hamilton in the wall

14h45 -  Yuki Tsunoda was last in FP3. If he maintains his form in his final qualifying session with Red Bull, the Japanese driver will not be in a position to help his teammate in his quest for a fifth title.

14h42 -  Just as the tifosi were hoping to end the season on a positive note, Lewis Hamilton lost his car during Free Practice 3. The seven-time world champion crashed but should be able to participate in Qualifying.

14h40 -  Oscar Piastri, who missed FP1 in favor of Pato O'Ward, looked less convincing at Yas Marina. The Australian was only eleventh in FP2 and fifth in FP3.

14h35 -  Lando Norris seems particularly comfortable on the UAE circuit. The Briton dominated the first two Free Practice sessions before being overtaken by George Russell this morning in FP3.

14h33 -  Just minutes before the start of this qualifying session, discover the stakes of this Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in video!

14h30 - 👋 Hello everyone, and welcome to AUTOhebdo.fr to follow the rest of Saturday's action at the Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix!