Formula 1: Front row for McLaren duo, Bottas in 9th place on the grid

McLaren is ahead of Ferrari in the battle to win the Constructors’ Championship. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri leave the competition behind in the final qualifying session of this Formula 1 season.

Lando Norris secured his eighth pole position of the season at the season finale in Abu Dhabi. The Englishman beat his team-mate Oscar Piastri into second place by a good two tenths, giving McLaren a good chance of successfully defending its lead over Ferrari in the team standings.

Leclerc with the biggest possible handicap

The Scuderia, which has 22 points to make up on Sunday, will need a miracle in the 24th and final Grand Prix of the year. Although Carlos Sainz is breathing down the McLaren’s necks in third place on the grid, Charles Leclerc will have to start the race from the very back of the grid. The Monegasque, who is still battling with Norris for second place in the drivers’ championship, got stuck in the second part of qualifying. He was also handed a ten-place grid penalty for an unauthorized battery swap on Friday.

Qualifying was also disappointing for Lewis Hamilton in the Mercedes. Before his departure to Ferrari in the winter, the record world champion only managed 18th on the grid.

Bottas impresses

Team Sauber had another reason to be happy. After Zhou Guanyu clinched his first tangible result of the year with 8th place in Qatar last weekend, Valtteri Bottas once again brought smiles to the faces of the Zurich-based racing team. The Finn advanced to the second part of qualifying for the second time this season.

With ninth place on the grid, the ten-time GP winner put himself in a good position to avoid having to end a Formula 1 season without winning a championship point for the first time in his career. Zhou Guanyu, who like Bottas has to leave Team Sauber after three seasons, will start his last Grand Prix in the Hinwil-based car from 16th on the grid.

Future Sauber driver Nico Hülkenberg drove his Haas to a surprising 4th place, leaving even world champion Max Verstappen behind him, who finished fifth in the Red Bull.

SDA