'Find out tomorrow': Max Verstappen claims 'insane' pole for Abu Dhabi season decider

Max Verstappen took pole position for the title-deciding Abu Dhabi Grand Prix ahead of Formula 1 title rivals Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri on Sunday morning (AEDT).

The thrilling three-way battle will be decided at the Yas Marina Circuit, with McLaren's Norris 12 points ahead of Red Bull's Verstappen and 16 ahead of teammate Piastri.

Verstappen is aiming for his fifth straight title, while Norris and Piastri are both chasing their first. All three drivers have won seven races for the season.

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The Dutchman is ready to fight on the final day — just like in 2021, when he beat seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton on the last lap to clinch his first championship.

"We find out tomorrow don't we?" Verstappen said. "I will try and win the race."

Pole position is crucial on the 58-lap circuit in Abu Dhabi, where overtaking is hard.

Every driver has won from pole since 2015. The last driver not to win from pole was Nico Rosberg in 2014, when he was beaten by his then-Mercedes teammate Hamilton.

Verstappen had already set the fastest lap on his first go but went even quicker on his second attempt and clocked 1 minute, 22.207 seconds, making him .201 faster than Norris and .230 quicker than Piastri.

"That was insane," Verstappen said over team radio after his eighth pole of the season.

Norris will win the title if he's on the podium in Abu Dhabi.

Even if Verstappen wins, the Dutchman needs Norris to be fourth or lower. If Piastri wins, he requires Norris to finish outside the top five.

Norris will start from the front row but was disappointed not to be on pole.

"We just weren't fast enough today. We'll have to try and do it tomorrow," he said.

"I still want to try and win tomorrow, so that's going to be the goal."

Piastri was content with his performance.

"Nicely done," he said. "Wasn't much left."

Hamilton was eliminated from Q1, the first section of qualifying, for the third-straight race after earlier crashing into a wall during practice.

"I'm so sorry," Hamilton said over team radio. "There are no words to express how I feel."

Asked about 2026, a dejected-sounding Hamilton said "I'm not looking that far ahead."

Mercedes driver George Russell qualified fourth ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, who fared much better than his more illustrious teammate.