Lando Norris on pole as Lewis Hamilton suffers early elimination in Abu Dhabi

Lando Norris claimed pole (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Lando Norris claimed an eighth pole position of the season at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix as Lewis Hamilton suffered an early elimination in his final qualifying as a Mercedes driver.

Norris led a McLaren one-two, with team-mate Oscar Piastri joining him on the front row as the team strengthened their grip on the constructors’ championship.

The British team are battling Ferrari to claim the constructors’ crown this weekend, holding a 21-point lead over the Scuderia.

QUALIFYING CLASSIFICATION

McLaren in the box seat as they look to clinch their first constructors' title in a quarter of a century #F1 #AbuDhabiGP pic.twitter.com/TK0P2kDzmg

— Formula 1 (@F1) December 7, 2024

Norris said: “We want to do it in style and we want to win, I want to win.

“We know what we have to do. We are staying focused but we are here to win every race possible and tomorrow we will have a good chance.

“We will be giving it everything we have got.”

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc has endured a challenging weekend to boost McLaren’s chances and will start Sunday’s race at the back of the field.

It’s gone from bad to worse 😞 @Charles_Leclerc’s lap time has been deleted, he ends Q2 in P14@Carlossainz55 makes it through to Q3 #AbuDhabiGP 🇦🇪 #F1 pic.twitter.com/Kbw0EoT3Ji

— Scuderia Ferrari HP (@ScuderiaFerrari) December 7, 2024

The Monegasque, who is eight points adrift of Norris in the battle to finish second in the drivers’ standings, had his best lap in Q2 deleted for track limits – qualifying only 14th but also facing a 10-place grid penalty for changing his battery pack on Friday.

His Ferrari team-mate Carlos Sainz will lead their fight from third on the grid ahead of Haas’ Nico Hulkenberg, who produced a stunning lap to finish fourth.

Champion Max Verstappen, who had claimed pole and victory at the previous four races in Abu Dhabi, will start from fifth ahead of Pierre Gasly and George Russell.

Sergio Perez, whose Red Bull future remains in serious doubt, could qualify only 10th.

❌ ELIMINATED IN Q1 ❌

Albon
Zhou
Hamilton
Colapinto
Doohan

Gutting for Lewis in his final qualifying for Mercedes. Looks like he had a bollard stuck under the car on his final push lap#F1 #AbuDhabiGP pic.twitter.com/Q7H1bDCxVB

— Formula 1 (@F1) December 7, 2024

Hamilton’s final act of a glittering 12-year stay at Mercedes began with a dismal Q1 elimination after the seven-time world champion was undone by a stray bollard on his final run.

Haas’ Kevin Magnussen ran over the bollard, knocking it into Hamilton’s path and it got stuck under the Mercedes as Hamilton qualified only 18th.

Hamilton, who will join Ferrari next season after 12 years with the Silver Arrows, has struggled this term and is set to finish seventh in the drivers’ standings – the lowest position during his career.