Story highlights
Lewis Hamilton on pole for Abu Dhabi GP
Nico Rosberg seconds fastest
Hamilton trails Rosberg by 12 points
Lewis Hamilton produced a stunning lap of the Yas Marina circuit to claim pole position for Sunday’s F1 title showdown in Abu Dhabi.
Two-time defending champion Hamilton clocked one minute 38.755 seconds to relegate Mercedes teammate and championship leader Nico Rosberg to second on the grid.
“I didn’t over-cook it into turn one and after that I was in total control,” said Hamilton.
Rosberg, who leads Hamilton by 12 points heading into the final race of the season, will clinch his first world title with a top three finish.
Read: Title duel in the desert
The German had over half a second in hand over Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo, who was third fastest, with Kimi Raikkonen fourth best for Ferrari.
It was the fourth straight pole for Britain’s Hamilton, who has been steadily cutting into Rosberg’s lead in the closing races of the 2016 season, and will be bidding for a fourth straight win.
Read: Hamilton ‘mesmerized’ by tennis star Serena
Both men have secured nine wins this season, but Rosberg’s greater reliability has left him with a potentially decisive advantage ahead of the floodlit finale in the desert.
Hamilton, bidding for his fourth world title, was claiming his 12th pole of the season, a personal best, and 61st of his career, denying Rosberg his third straight pole at the circuit.
“I came here to try and be on pole and to try and win the race tomorrow,” said Rosberg.
“I am not ecstatic about today… Lewis did a great job and he was a couple of tenths quicker and it was impossible for me to do that time today.
“Lewis was just that bit quicker, but there are still opportunities and I’ll go for the win,” he added.
Of the other leading contenders, Sebastian Vettel was fifth for Ferrari, ahead of Red Bull’s Dutch teenager Max Verstappen.
Felipe Massa, in his final Grand Prix, was 10th for Willliams, while 2009 champion Jenson Button, who is also saying farewell to F1, was 12th in his McLaren.
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