Fernando Alonso sneaks into the party and Carlos Sainz, out in Q1, charges against Ferrari
Max Verstappen's fourth consecutive pole at Yas Marina was seasoned by Red Bull with a radio communication. “You just made me win 500 euros from Helmut Marko, which is like getting blood from a stone,” reported Christian Horner, team principal of the team.. “Has Helmut lost a bet? What world do we live in?” replied the three-time world champion.. The joking tone is worth highlighting the majestic moment of Mad Max at the close of the 2023 World Cup, where he has only missed three victories after 21 races. This Saturday, a couple of adjustments were enough for him in a car that seemed unstable to set the best time (1:23.445), 13 hundredths ahead of Charles Leclerc and 33 over Oscar Piastri..
The boss who acted like a Nazi and the engines that frustrated Schumacher
Under the floodlight towers of Abu Dhabi, between two immense straights and very twisty areas, Fernando Alonso saved a seventh place for Aston Martin, thanks to his usual combination of talent and experience. With fourth place in the World Cup at stake, the Asturian aims to improve his chances against Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris, riding faster cars today.. While Lance Stroll plummeted to thirteenth place, Alonso squeezed his AMR-23 at just the right moment (1.24.084).
On the other hand, Sainz and Norris disappointed, each in their own way. Much more serious in the case of the Spaniard, eliminated in Q1 due to a fatal combination of traffic, lack of reflexes from his engineers and little inspiration from the driver.. To the accident on Friday, due to bottoming, this debacle is now added, in the form of sixteenth place on the grid. “We've gotten ourselves into trouble. I am very angry, because we could have done things much better,” admitted the Madrid native, very critical of his team's decisions.. “We left very late for the last attempt and it happened that everyone was making their return,” he said.
Hamilton, out in Q2
It was Sainz's first crash in Q1 since the 2019 Brazilian GP, the scene of an amazing comeback that led him to the first podium of his life.. A similar feat seems almost impossible in Abu Dhabi, where Ferrari needs to make four more points than Mercedes to take second place in the World Championship.. At least the Scuderia could console itself with Lewis Hamilton's stumble in Q2. “Something is not right with the car,” revealed the seven-time champion, whose eleventh place was improved by George Russell's fourth place..
Norris, fifth classified, 34 thousandths slower than his McLaren teammate, must have felt even more upset.. “Don't tell me anything, because sometimes it's better if I didn't come on Saturdays,” revealed the Briton, unable to optimize the power of his car and put everything together in one lap.. Leclerc's last-minute blow must sting in Zak Brown's garage.
Eight different cars in Q3
The presence in Q3 of eight cars from as many manufacturers explained the very marked equality on the shores of the Persian Gulf, especially in the middle zone. The unpredictable Yuki Tsunoda (Alpha Tauri), plus the intrepid Nico Hulkenberg (Haas) and Pierre Gasly (Alpine), who had just overcome several problems in Q1 with track limits, signed up for that raffle..
None, of course, dared to look into Verstappen's domain, who in Q2 was able to avoid a soft game because he did not even appear for a second attempt.. Of course, Red Bull no longer even remembered the problems suffered in the last free session of the morning.. The one who got closest to his times was Norris, very consistent since Friday. All McLaren fantasies evaporated in Q3. And Red Bull's party was not complete because of Sergio Pérez, fighting with the track limits, and ninth on the grid.