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By: Geoff Creighton

Summary

Mercedes takes another 1-2 with Hamilton fastest
Ferrari locks out the second row
Grosjean tops the 'Class B' runners in seventh
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Status: Stopped
Driver, Team
Hamilton, Mercedes
Bottas, Mercedes
Vettel, Ferrari
Raikkonen, Ferrari
Ricciardo, Red Bull
Verstappen, Red Bull
Grosjean, Haas
Leclerc, Sauber
Ocon, Force India
Hulkenberg, Renault
And that concludes Autosport's coverage of qualifying for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Join us again at just before 13:00 tomorrow for the build-up to the final race of the season as we find out who ends the year on top.
Here's the full story of how Hamilton and Mercedes were able to take pole in the final session of the season:
Lewis Hamilton takes Abu Dhabi Grand Prix F1 pole position
Bottas says "P2 wasn't what I was expecting" as he's disappointed to miss out on the final pole of the season by two tenths.
Lewis Hamilton: "I never say there's a perfect lap but the first lap wasn't spectacular. That last one started off kind of calm but got more aggressive. Valtteri did a great job too."
So Mercedes's excellent performances at the Yas Marina circuit continue with Hamilton describing it as an "emotional" qualifying session as it was the last with the current Mercedes car.
Out of the 'Class B' runners it's Grosjean that takes the top spot for Haas in seventh just 0.045s faster than Sauber's Leclerc
Q3 results: 1 Hamilton; 2 Bottas; 3 Vettel; 4 Raikkonen; 5 Ricciardo; 6 Verstappen; 7 Grosjean; 8 Leclerc; 9 Ocon; 10 Hulkenberg.
Lewis Hamilton takes pole position for the final race of the 2018 season.
Vettel improves but stays third and can't deny Mercedes a 1-2.
Verstappen doesn't improve and will start sixth. Raikkonen demotes Ricciardo to fifth.
Ricciardo is fourth, six tenths down.
Bottas can do no better than second, a tenth and a half slower.
Hamilton improves to a scary-looking 1m34.794s.
Leclerc comes up just short in eighth, Ocon takes ninth from Hulkenberg.
Chequered flag is out at the end of Q3.
Grosjean's second lap has gotten away from him, will he be threatened by Leclerc and Ocon?
Hamilton is a tenth up on Bottas through the first sector, Ricciardo is adrift.
Grosjean kicks off the final series of qualifying flyers in 2018.
"These tyres are way warmer, out of the box," says Verstappen. He's told they are still in the right temperature window, so no need for concern.
 
Vettel is last of the Q3 participants to head out of the pits, doing so with two minutes left on the clock.
Three minutes to go, Hamilton is first of the frontrunners to start his second run.
Leclerc and Ocon posted their efforts on used hypersofts, so should improve markedly on their second runs.
Order at halfway point: 1 Hamilton; 2 Vettel; 3 Bottas; 4 Ricciardo; 5 Raikkonen; 6 Verstappen; 7 Grosjean; 8 Hulkenberg; 9 Leclerc; 10 Ocon.
"You can put that one in the book, woo!" booms Grosjean.
Raikkonen splits the Red Bulls, while Vettel is 0.057s slower than Hamilton to take second. Top six within three tenths after the opening runs.
Ricciardo takes third, just 0.159s off pole. Verstappen is fourth, three tenths behind Hamilton.
Vettel and Raikkonen are pretty even through the first sector, and are leading the Mercedes cars.
Hamilton now goes top, 1m35.295s. Bottas comes up a tenth short.
Leclerc and Ocon are seven and eight tenths slower respectively.
Grpsjean sets the initial benchmark, a 1m36.192s.
Hamilton edges Bottas in the first sector, although both are slower than Grosjean.
Grosjean is the first Q3 runner to start a flying lap. Ocon next, then Leclerc and Hamilton.
Six of the 10 cars are out on track already, but the Red Bulls and Ferraris are leaving it a little late.
Green light for the final 12 minutes of F1 qualifying in 2018.
 
"The track is getting better for the rears, so we can add some front wing," says Vettel. He then asks "Do I have time for a quick pee?"
 
 

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