F1 Abu Dhabi GP Live Updates - final practice and qualifying

By: Jake Boxall-Legge

Summary


	Verstappen takes pole for the first time in 2020 in qualifying for Abu Dhabi GP
	Hamilton only third, but top three covered by less than a tenth of a second
	Norris is fourth for McLaren, while Albon is fifth
	Out after Q2: Ocon, Ricciardo, Vettel, Giovinazzi and Perez

Status: Stopped

17:16 That's all for today folks. Join us on Sunday for live coverage of the final round of the 2020 season.

Until then, stay with Autosport.com for all the reaction from qualifying.

17:15 Report: Verstappen pips Bottas for Red Bull's first pole of 2020:

F1 Abu Dhabi GP: Verstappen pips Bottas for Red Bull's first 2020 pole

Max Verstappen stunned the Mercedes duo Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton to take Red Bull's first pole of 2020 as he topped qualifying at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

17:12

17:10

17:08 Bottas says he doesn't think he got "100% out of the tyres" on that lap and it "wasn't perfect".

17:07

17:04

17:04 Leclerc has a three-place grid penalty to serve, so he'll drop behind both Renaults into 12th, with Gasly moving up to ninth and Ocon into 10th. That's significant for the Renault driver as he'll be the only one in the top 10 able to start on fresh rubber.

17:02 Behind the top three, Norris has won the McLaren qualifying battle in fourth ahead of Albon, with Sainz heading Kvyat, Stroll, Leclerc and Gasly.

17:01 0.086s covering the top three in the final qualifying of 2020. That's set us up a pretty spicy race.

17:01 But Verstappen has taken pole from the Mercedes pair at the death! It's his first pole since Brazil 2019.

17:00 The chequered flag is out and Bottas snatches pole from Hamilton with a 1m35.271s.

17:00 Hamilton goes top with a 1m35.332s.

16:59 Hamilton still purple on this lap as he trips the timing beam to end sector two.

16:58 Hamilton up in sector one on this lap.

16:58 "All you have, Valtteri," Toto Wolff tells Bottas as he winds up for his final lap.

16:57 Gasly and Hamilton came very close to contact into Turn 5 on their outlaps.

16:56 Bottas heads back into the desert night on fresh softs to try and cement his provisional pole.

16:55 Five minutes to go in qualifying.

16:55 Hamilton did make a small error on his flying lap, so expect a step forward on his second run.

16:54 Sainz is fifth ahead of Norris, with Stroll, Leclerc, Kvyat and Gasly completing the top 10.

16:53 0.156s covers the top four of Bottas, Verstappen, Hamilton and Albon after the first runs of Q3.

16:53 The Mercedes duo trade fastest laps, with Bottas getting ahead with a 1m35.415s, while Verstappen splits them in second.

16:52 Sainz deposes his team-mate with a 1m35.815s.

16:52 Norris goes top with a 1m35.988s.

16:50

16:48 Stroll is the first out on track.

16:48 The final pole shootout of 2020 is GO!

16:46 Renault's qualifying is a bit of a disaster in terms of its fight with McLaren and Racing Point in the fight for third in the standings.

16:45

16:44 Disappointing end to Vettel's final qualifying as a Ferrari driver, over half a second adrift of team-mate Leclerc, who was sixth in that session.

16:43 Missing out on Q3: Ocon, Ricciardo, Vettel, Giovinazzi and Perez.

16:42 Hamilton once again ends the session fastest from Bottas, Verstappen, Albon, Norris, Leclerc, Stroll, Sainz, Kvyat and Gasly. Those are your Q3 runners.

16:41 Albon gets into the top 10 in fourth, which pushes Ocon out.

16:41 Both Vettel and Ricciardo miss out on Q2 places. Giovinazzi had another lap cancelled.