F1 qualifying LIVE: Max Verstappen takes pole position ahead of Sergio Perez at Abu Dhabi GP
Follow qualifying updates and timings as Max Verstappen battles Mercedes pair George Russell and Lewis Hamilton for pole position at Sunday’s finale
The final race of the 2022 Formula One season is on Sunday and there’s still plenty to be decided despite the title being wrapped up.
Max Verstappen clinched his seventh pole of the season as he beat Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez to top of the charts in Abu Dhabi Grand Prix qualifying on Saturday.
Ferrari duo Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz filled the second row ahead of the Mercedes duo Lewis Hamilton and George Russell across the third row. McLaren’s Lando Norris, Alpine’s Esteban Ocon, Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel and Norris’s teammate Daniel Ricciardo rounded out the top 10.
The likes of Sebastian Vettel, Daniel Ricciardo and Mick Schumacher are set for their final races with their teams - the former is indeed set for his final race altogether after announcing his retirement from F1 earlier this season.
Follow F1 updates with The Independent - qualifying starts at 10:30am (GMT):
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - FP3 LIVE
Final laps, Ocon and Bottas among those who are still out, plus the Mercedes drivers.
Albon has lost a part of perhaps brake cover on turn 5.
Hamilton stays in third, Russell fourth. There’s almost a 0.6s gap between Sergio Perez, who ends FP3 top, and Leclerc for Ferrari.
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - FP3 LIVE
Leclerc very displeased with something today. Says he lost control after four turns.
Albon still in the top 10 at the moment, Vettel inside the top 10.
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - FP3 LIVE
Verstappen now does increase his pace, but not enough to supplant Perez atop the FP3 standings.
“Loads of oscillations on the engine off throttle,” says Leclerc. Neither Ferrari car in the top 10 still and both on mediums now as they are out on the track. Leclerc only clocks sixth fastest, then Sainz overtakes him. McLaren’s Norris stays fifth.
Hamilton and Russell both complete another lap and it’s the veteran who remains just ahead.
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - FP3 LIVE
Quick rundown on the current standings in FP3 as we head into the final 10 minutes or so.
1. Perez, Red Bull 1:24.982
2. Hamilton, Mercedes
3. Russell, Mercedes
4. Norris, McLaren
5. Verstappen, Red Bull
6. Ricciardo, McLaren
7. Vettel, Aston Martin
8. Albon, Williams
9. Ocon, Alpine
10. Alonso, Alpine
Leclerc and Sainz and 11th and 14th for Ferrari.
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - FP3 LIVE
We have a bit more than a quarter of an hour remaining in FP3.
Verstappen is out on a lap now, currently third fastest and chasing Perez and Hamilton.
He rounds the final turn and...yes, into first. 1:25.618.
Alex Albon is up in fourth, having gone rather close to taking out Lando Norris a few turns beforehand.
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - FP3 LIVE
Cars are back out as the track is cleared.
A potential issue for Hamilton though as stewards note him passing two cars, though it doesn’t look on replays as though he passed them after the red flag. We shall see the outcome in due course.
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - FP3 LIVE
Red flag while some debris is cleared from that Gasly incident.
Does indeed look fairly severe - one part of the wheel cover came flying off his car and the wheel itself also looks to have suffered damage, whether a puncture or broken part of the connection, the commentators are not quite sure.
A break in setting lap times, in any case.
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - FP3 LIVE
Perez sets the best lap with 1:25.861 for Red Bull.
Hamilton is out at the moment so he’ll look to reclaim top spot too, before Verstappen comes out.
Gasly looks to have done some damage. “Something broke, I felt something on the front axle,” he says over the radio.
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - FP3 LIVE
“I’ve got fire on the front left brake!” - Bit of an unexpected update from Lando Norris but all seems to be fine, perhaps some debris.
Then it’s Vettel reporting smoke coming out of his front left. A few issues to check for several teams then.
Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon set a couple of good times to put them third and fourth respectively, then Alonso is going for another straight away...same, third.
Norris, Tsunoda, Latifi and Verstappen the only drivers yet to set a lap time.
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