Max starting from P6 in Abu Dhabi: “Pretty sore"

Published on 26 November 2016 by Mike Motilall

Max Verstappen will be starting the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix from sixth. Mercedes driving Lewis Hamilton was the fastest man on track, outperforming team mate Nico Rosberg. The youngster made a mistake in his last run in Q3 which cost him a possible second grid row position. His team mate Daniel Ricciardo came in third in his Red Bull Racing RB12.

After qualifying, a very disappointed Max says: “It is very frustrating, actually everything went quite smoothly. In Q3, I went too wide in my first run in turn eleven which cost me two tenths and in my second run all looked good till turn eleven, because I was up two tenths. If everything had gone normal in that corner, then I would have improved myself by four tenths. But I locked up front right and went wide, I could have slapped myself. It could have easily been third place today but to end up sixth is very sore.”

At the start of Q1, we see Daniil Kvyat, Esteban Gutierrez, Romain Grosjean, Kevin Magnussen and Carlos Sainz head out on track as the firsts. It is a pleasant sight to see both Toro Rosso’s being able to partake in qualifying after having had issues during free practices. Kvyat is the first to get a time on the clocks, while Max is still in the pits.

Both title contenders Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg are out on track together and after their first run, they are both at the front with the Brit being more than a second up in P1. The Ferrari’s are also making track in the first sector and regularly show some purple sector times, ultimately they have to yield in the final one. Vettel positions himself between both Mercedes, while both Red Bulls are busy with their flying lap. Ricciardo crosses the line in eighth while Max puts his RB12 not much later in third.

Both Toro Rosso’s, both Saubers, Jolyon Palmer and Esteban Ocon are in the knock out zone after the first run. When the flag drops, Palmer has made it through to Q2 as oppose to his team mate Magnussen.

Hamilton and Rosberg immediately head out on track at the start of Q2 with Raikkonen in their wake. Vettel follows some moments later. All of them on the ultra soft tyres. Just like in Q1, Hamilton is once again faster than Rosberg. Both Ferrari’s follow in third and fourth. The Red Bulls are on the super softs and are planning a different strategy by starting on different tyres for the race. After their run both drivers are in fourth and sixth with Max half a second up on Ricciardo.

In the danger zone we find Fernando Alonso, Gutierrez, Grosjean, Palmer, Pascal Wehrlein and Jenson Button. Max is quite safe being in fourth, but nevertheless opts for a second run on the ultra softs. The same goes for Ricciardo. Both drivers abort their lap enabling them to start the race tomorrow with the alternative strategy. Valtteri Bottas, Button, Gutierrez, Grosjean, Palmer and Wehrlein need to take off their helmets as they are the drop outs in Q2.

Hamilton gets things going in Q3 followed by Nico Hülkenberg, Rosberg and Raikkonen. Not much later Max, Ricciardo as well as the Force India drivers and Alonso follow. Darkness has set in and the artificial lights are put to work on the Yas Marina Circuit. Everyone, with the exception of Alonso, is out on new ultra soft tyres.

After the first run the lineup has become: Hamilton, Rosberg, Raikkonen, Ricciardo, Verstappen and Vettel. Putting Max a tenth-and-a-half down on his team mate. Felipe Massa has opted for just one lap and notes a time in the early stages of the session.

Hamilton is the first to get on track for a second run, while Hülkenberg and Rosberg follow, Ricciardo and Raikkonen also head out not much later. Max makes to the track just ahead of Vettel who is the last in the lineup.

At the front it’s very tense but Hamilton remains in P1. Ricciardo makes little work of Raikkonen and is now in third while Vettel is able to snatch P5 from Max, because the Dutchman aborts his run and prematurely returns to the pits. Max was having a good run, even had twice green sector times but lost a lot due to him getting off track in turn eleven. P6 for the young Dutchman, who is starting the race tomorrow on the super softs.

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Yas Marina Circuit - Saturday 26 November

Results Qualifying

01 44 Lewis Hamilton      Mercedes                    1:39.487 1:39.382 1:38.755 
02  6 Nico Rosberg        Mercedes                    1:40.511 1:39.490 1:39.058 
03  3 Daniel Ricciardo    Red Bull Racing TAG Heuer   1:41.002 1:40.429 1:39.589 
04  7 Kimi Räikkönen      Ferrari                     1:40.338 1:39.629 1:39.604 
05  5 Sebastian Vettel    Ferrari                     1:40.341 1:40.034 1:39.661 
06 33 Max Verstappen      Red Bull Racing TAG Heuer   1:40.424 1:39.903 1:39.818 
07 27 Nico Hulkenberg     Force India Mercedes        1:41.000 1:40.709 1:40.501 
08 11 Sergio Perez        Force India Mercedes        1:40.864 1:40.743 1:40.519 
09 14 Fernando Alonso     McLaren Honda               1:41.616 1:41.044 1:41.106 
10 19 Felipe Massa        Williams Mercedes           1:41.157 1:40.858 1:41.213 
11 77 Valtteri Bottas     Williams Mercedes           1:41.192 1:41.084 
12 22 Jenson Button       McLaren Honda               1:41.158 1:41.272 
13 21 Esteban Gutierrez   Haas Ferrari                1:41.639 1:41.480 
14  8 Romain Grosjean     Haas Ferrari                1:41.467 1:41.564 
15 30 Jolyon Palmer       Renault                     1:41.775 1:41.820 
16 94 Pascal Wehrlein     MRT Mercedes                1:41.886 1:41.995 
17 26 Daniil Kvyat        Toro Rosso Ferrari          1:42.003 
18 20 Kevin Magnussen     Renault                     1:42.142 
19 12 Felipe Nasr         Sauber Ferrari              1:42.247 
20 31 Esteban Ocon        MRT Mercedes                1:42.286 
21 55 Carlos Sainz        Toro Rosso Ferrari          1:42.393 
22  9 Marcus Ericsson     Sauber Ferrari              1:42.637  

Click here to enter our competition and a chance to win a signed cap and flag!