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TELEMETRY REVEALS HOW MAX VERSTAPPEN BEAT LANDO NORRIS FOR CRUCIAL POLE
Despite McLaren's expected pace, Verstappen nailed pole by two-tenths. Analytical breakdown of how Red Bull's qualifying setup and tire strategy proved superior in the Abu Dhabi title fight.
Max Verstappen grabbed his eighth pole position of the season at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. This sets the stage for a big title fight in the final race of 2025.
Let's look at how Verstappen beat McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, using telemetry data.
Abu Dhabi is usually a track that fits McLaren better for one-lap speed, and that seemed true in the practice sessions.
Verstappen showed he could do it all without any help from Tsunoda, who gave him a slipstream on the main straight.
Verstappen's gap over Norris was a bit over two tenths of a second. That's pretty big, because the grid was so tight.
So, where was Max faster?
Telemetry data shows the fight for pole position was close in the first sector.
Both drivers braked well and handled the fast turns.
Max had a slight advantage after the first section, but it wasn't a game-changer.
The real difference showed up in T5.
Norris held a better line and carried more speed, but Max had more grip and used a wider path. He also accelerated better.
Verstappen's lower-drag rear wing helped him get a higher top speed on the straight between T5 and T6. He gained about a tenth on Norris.
Verstappen braked later into T6 and picked up another tenth through the T6–T7 chicane.
Norris had been strongest in the third sector during practice.
He is good at controlling his car through slow turns, but he couldn't take advantage when it counted.
He was faster through T9 and closed the gap there, but Max was faster through the hotel section.
Norris's final-sector time was better, but only by 0.029 seconds. That wasn't enough.
On the bright side, he still finished ahead of his teammate Piastri.
The data looks almost the same when comparing Piastri's and Verstappen's best laps.
Piastri matched Max in the first sector, but Verstappen was stronger on the first DRS straight and faster through the T6–T7 chicane.
Like with Norris, Piastri gained a bit of time in the final sector, but not enough.
Norris was slightly better at the first corner and kept that lead through the lap.
Could the McLaren drivers have been better?
The data says all three drivers put in their best laps when it mattered most.
Their ideal qualifying laps matched their real ones, meaning they got the most out of their cars and the track.
Red Bull had a better car setup for qualifying.
Their choice of a lower-downforce package was better, and Verstappen built his lead in the second sector.
He started Q3 on fresh softs, while both McLaren drivers used worn sets.
Verstappen's first lap was enough for pole, which keeps his title hopes alive.
But none of this matters unless he wins his fifth championship on Sunday.
The race will be exciting.
Norris was faster in all three practice runs, shifting expectations.
But if there's one thing we've learned this season, it's that you can't count out Max.
On Saturday, he showed why, beating both papaya cars.
He even did it twice in Q3, since his first try was good enough for pole.
THE 2026 ULTIMATUM: WHY NEXT SEASON IS "MAKE OR BREAK" FOR LEWIS HAMILTON
After a winless 2025 debut, Lewis Hamilton faces a pivotal year. See why Steiner believes the 7x champ is nearing the F1 exit.
Guenther Steiner, who used to run the Haas team, thinks Lewis Hamilton might quit Formula 1 if Ferrari can't get to the top of the Driver's Championship by 2026—he thinks that season will be super important for the racing star.
Hamilton had a tough first year with Ferrari, ending up sixth in the F1 rankings with 156 points.
That was 86 points behind his teammate, Charles Leclerc, and he didn't even get on the podium once, which is a first for him in a full season.
He often said he was bummed out about how his Ferrari debut was going.
Back in November, after the Las Vegas Grand Prix, he told Sky Sports, I feel awful. This has been the worst season ever, and it just keeps getting worse no matter how hard I try. I'm trying everything I can, both in and out of the car.
Hamilton looked pretty sad a lot during the season because he couldn't really fight for race wins.
Steiner told Sports Krone, I think if Ferrari has a good car next season, Hamilton might be able to turn things around. If they are more competitive, Lewis might find his drive again. But if things stay the same, next season will probably be his last in Formula 1. He's not going to go through that again. The situation is tough for him, and you could see that in every interview. So, the next season will be key for him.
What's Hamilton saying about quitting?
When the media asks Hamilton about his F1 future, he doesn't want to talk about retiring.
At the end of the season, when someone asked him what he would say to those who think he might retire soon, the 40-year-old said, I wouldn't say anything to them. None of them have done what I've done, so they don't know anything more than I do.
Last summer, after some rumors that he might leave early, Hamilton said he's staying at Ferrari until his contract is up.
He said, For those writing stories about me thinking about not racing, I've just started here with Ferrari. I've been here for a few years, and I'm in it for the long run, so there's no question about what I'm focused on achieving with this team. There are zero doubts, so please stop making stuff up.
In 2026, everyone will still be wondering about Hamilton's future in F1, mainly if Ferrari keeps struggling with the new rules. And if Steiner is right, another year of not competing for a championship could be the end for him.
MAX VERSTAPPEN NAMED PEER-VOTED DRIVER OF THE YEAR FOR FIFTH CONSECUTIVE SEASON
Max Verstappen wins his 5th straight F1 peer award, beating champion Lando Norris. Lewis Hamilton drops out of the top 10 for the first time.
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Max Verstappen copped his fifth straight driver-of-the-year award in Formula 1's secret peer vote, even though he almost grabbed a fifth title in 2025 but didn't quite make it.
The drivers all voted in secret, except for four guys. The Red Bull driver beat out Lando Norris, who just won the world championship, for the number one spot.
The voting worked like the normal F1 points system. Drivers ranked their top 10 rivals. Verstappen got 25 points from six votes to win.
Norris, who won his first championship after a crazy season, came in second in the driver rankings for the second year running.
The McLaren driver won the title after fighting off pressure from Verstappen and his teammate, Oscar Piastri, all season long.
George Russell took third, moving up one spot from last year. The Mercedes driver had a killer season with two wins and seven more podiums.
Piastri was fourth, up one spot, even though his championship hopes fizzled out near the end. The Aussie was leading by 34 points at one point before his performance dropped off.
Charles Leclerc finished fifth, down two spots, even though he got everything he could out of Ferrari's SF-25. The Monegasque driver had seven podiums during a tough season that saw Ferrari finish fourth.
Carlos Sainz held onto sixth after a great comeback at Williams. After a rough start, the Spaniard grabbed two podiums in a strong second half of the season.
Fernando Alonso jumped two spots to seventh, and the two-time world champion had some crazy drives in Aston Martin's AMR25.
Alex Albon took eighth after his best season with Williams, while rookies Oliver Bearman and Isack Hadjar rounded out the top 10, getting props for their awesome first seasons.
Pierre Gasly almost made the list, even with 10 Q3 appearances in Alpine's tricky A525.
Lewis Hamilton, who's won seven world championships, didn't show up in the rankings, which is a first since they started doing this poll. It shows how rough his first season at Ferrari was.
The four drivers who skipped the vote were Hamilton, Nico Hulkenberg, Lance Stroll, and Yuki Tsunoda.
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