Overview
- Max Verstappen secured pole with a 1:22.207, with Lando Norris second and Oscar Piastri third on the Yas Marina grid.
- George Russell will start fourth ahead of Charles Leclerc in fifth and Fernando Alonso in sixth, after a tightly contested Q3.
- Lewis Hamilton was eliminated in Q1 and starts 16th in a session that also saw Alex Albon, Nico Hülkenberg, Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto knocked out.
- Franco Colapinto had two laps deleted for track limits and will start last for Alpine, underscoring a difficult weekend for the team as it searches for pace.
- Sunday’s race will decide the drivers’ crown and close the current technical era before major 2026 regulation changes take effect.