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A archetypal Formula 1 title for Max Verstappen is successful scope aft masterful Red Bull strategy helped the Dutchman flooded an aboriginal qualifying mistake to bushed Lewis Hamilton for the apical starting spot successful the title-deciding Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Verstappen flat-spotted his mean tyres successful Saturday qualifying, which forced Red Bull to blueprint a program to springiness its prima immoderate benignant of borderline implicit his rival. Sergio Perez was tasked to assistance and went retired archetypal successful the last qualifying conception — a determination that allowed Perez to tow Verstappen down the agelong consecutive astatine Yas Marina Circuit earlier Perez bailed retired and sacrificed his ain thigh to assistance his teammate.
Verstappen clocked his thigh astatine 1:22.109, bully capable to clasp disconnected Hamilton by .371 of a second.
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Hamilton was booed relentlessly by a Verstappen-heavy assemblage during qualifying, but the seven-time satellite champion gave a blunt effect to the icy reception.
“I don't care; it doesn't marque a quality to me,” Hamilton said.
“If it was a cheer, if it was a boo, it makes nary quality to however I spell astir my life. If anything, I usage that arsenic fuel.”
The pole-sitter has won successful Abu Dhabi the past six years, including Verstappen's triumph past play erstwhile helium led each 55 laps astir the yacht-filled marina.
He refused to presume his pole-winning tally guaranteed that Verstappen would dethrone Hamilton's tally of 4 consecutive titles and go F1's archetypal Dutch satellite champion.
“First of all, I ne'er look astatine the stats due to the fact that these things tin alteration astatine the commencement oregon whatever, the archetypal lap,” Verstappen said.
“I conscionable request to absorption connected what we tin power arsenic a team.”
Hamilton connected Sunday volition effort to triumph a grounds eighth title to interruption a necktie with Michael Schumacher.
Hamilton and Verstappen are tied successful the standings — the archetypal clip since 1974 that contenders are adjacent going into the deciding race.
Hamilton likes his chances.
“We're good. Happy that I'm connected beforehand row. I tin spot him,” Hamilton said.
“I'm giving it everything.”
Hamilton could yet inactive person the vantage due to the fact that of Verstappen's mistake.
After Verstappen flat-spotted his mean tires successful qualifying two, Red Bull changed to brushed tyres and volition commencement Sunday's contention connected rubber that won't beryllium arsenic durable arsenic the mediums for Hamilton and Mercedes. Red Bull brag Christian Horner said during qualifying "the lockup wasn’t ideal; that benignant of forced our hand", but neither helium nor his operator were worried.
“I wanted to effort to commencement connected the mediums but I flat-spotted,” Verstappen said.
“But I felt bully connected the brushed truthful it's not truly a hard determination to marque and past conscionable say, ‘OK'."
Lando Norris for McLaren was a astonishment 3rd successful qualifying — beating retired some Verstappen and Hamilton's teammates.
Perez was 4th for Red Bull, followed by Carlos Sainz of Ferrari and astatine past Hamilton's outgoing Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas successful a disappointing sixth.
Norris said he'd person the champion spot successful the marina travel Sunday.
“I'm precise excited to spot everything unfold, to spot what goes on,” Norris said.
“It's conscionable a genuine pleasance to beryllium successful this presumption to spot everything that's been going connected this play betwixt Max and Lewis and to ticker the battles and to ticker the racing.”
Hamilton won 3 consecutive races to portion each 19 points disconnected Verstappen's clasp connected the title going into the finale and this rubric combat has been likened to some James Hunt versus Niki Lauda successful 1976 and Ayrton Senna versus Alain Prost successful 1990.
But Hamilton has been progressive successful his ain tense battles before, including a one-point triumph implicit Felipe Massa for his archetypal title successful 2008 and a five-point nonaccomplishment to teammate Nico Rosberg successful 2016.
He says this twelvemonth is “a cardinal times different” from 2016, his past situation and defeat.
“Much, overmuch antithetic scenario,” said Hamilton, who added helium was present a amended operator and amended teammate.
“We're conscionable successful a antithetic spot successful life. We're conscionable successful a overmuch amended and happier place.”
Verstappen has faced dense disapproval this twelvemonth for an assertive driving benignant that has led to penalties from the stewards, an accusation by Hamilton past week that Verstappen drives implicit the enactment and on-track collisions with his rival.
The 24-year-old has said each play that he's been treated unfairly connected and disconnected track.
Ahead of the finale, Verstappen said helium was acceptable to go.
“For contiguous and the coming hours, I deliberation what's astir important is bully sleep,” Verstappen said.
“But also, I person friends and household around, truthful I americium not going to bash thing antithetic to what I usually person been doing.”
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