Verstappen in pole but Hamilton desperate to see back of this season’s uncompetitive Mercedes

Hamilton will start the 22nd and final round of the campaign from only fifth as Max Verstappen took pole position

Lewis Hamilton will start the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix from fifth on the grid (Hussein Malla/AP)

Lewis Hamilton cannot wait to consign his under-performing Mercedes to history as he faces the daunting task of keeping his unique winning record alive in Sunday’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Hamilton is the only driver in Formula One’s record books to end every season with a victory.