Max Verstappen delivered a superb lap to take pole position at the Yas Marina Circuit, finishing two tenths ahead of his main rival Lando Norris. Oscar Piastri lined up third, giving McLaren a strong position for the title decider. Verstappen’s pole gives him the best possible chance of keeping his championship hopes alive, and his strong pace is likely to have planted some doubt in the minds of the McLaren drivers. However, he still faces a big challenge, as he must overturn a 12-point deficit to Norris to retain his crown.

After qualifying, Verstappen explained that Red Bull had worked hard to fix the problems he felt in practice. He said that qualifying “felt a little bit more together compared to the other sessions” and that the team’s final changes “seemed to help us a bit.” He was also surprised by the performance of the fresh tyres in Q3, admitting that he “was a little bit surprised in the first round how much the new tyres actually gave me.” Verstappen also praised Yuki Tsunoda for helping him with a tow, saying it was “very nice of him to give up one of his rides.”

Even with pole, Verstappen is staying realistic. He said that the long-run pace had been his main concern earlier in the weekend, although he believes the team prepared “in the best way possible.” He added, “It is probably the best I have felt. But of course, let us see if that is good enough.” Verstappen also made it clear that he will need outside help to win the title, saying, “I am going to try to win that race. But of course, with that, I still need a little bit of help or luck to win the championship.”

The title picture is straightforward. Verstappen must finish on the podium and hope Norris does not. Any podium would be enough for Norris to secure the championship, while Piastri’s simplest route is to win and hope Norris finishes lower than sixth. Verstappen said he will not spend the night worrying about the calculations, explaining, “We will figure it out tomorrow. Not tonight. You can talk about it for one hour, two hours, and then after one lap, you throw it in the bin.”

There could be strategic surprises as well. Tyre graining has been an issue for several teams because of lower grip than expected and fresh asphalt in the first sector. Pirelli still predicts that a one-stop strategy will be fastest, but two stops remain an option. Verstappen might benefit from this, as he is the only one of the title contenders with two brand-new sets of medium tyres available. Both McLaren drivers have instead saved two sets of hard tyres. If the race turns into a strategic battle, Verstappen may have a small advantage to play with.