By JENNA FRYER
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A first Formula One championship for Max Verstappen was in reach after masterful Red Bull strategy helped the Dutchman overcome an early qualifying mistake to beat Lewis Hamilton for the top starting spot in the title-deciding Abu Dhabi GP.
Verstappen flat-spotted his medium tires in Saturday qualifying, which forced Red Bull to blueprint a plan to give its star any sort of edge over his rival. Sergio Perez was tasked to help and went out first in the final qualifying segment — a move that allowed Perez to tow Verstappen down the long straight at Yas Marina Circuit before Perez bailed out and sacrificed his own lap to aid his teammate.
Verstappen clocked his lap at at 1 minute, 22.109-seconds, good enough to hold off Hamilton by .371-seconds. The pole-sitter has won in Abu Dhabi the last six years, including Verstappen’s victory last season when he led all 55 laps around the yacht-filled marina.
He refused to presume his pole-winning run guaranteed that Verstappen will dethrone Hamilton’s run of four consecutive titles and become F1′s first Dutch world champion.
“First of all, I never look at the stats because these things can change at the start or whatever, the first lap,” Verstappen said. “I just need to focus on what we can control as a team.”
Hamilton on Sunday will attempt to win a record eighth championship to break a tie with Michael Schumacher. Hamilton and Verstappen are tied in the standings — the first time since 1974 that contenders were even going into the deciding race.
“First of all, I never look at the stats because these things can change at the start or whatever, the first lap,” Verstappen said. “I just need to focus on what we can control as a team.”
Hamilton on Sunday will attempt to win a record eighth championship to break a tie with Michael Schumacher. Hamilton and Verstappen are tied in the standings — the first time since 1974 that contenders were even going into the deciding race.
