Verstappen says: "That's why I had to go onto the softs'

Max Verstappen did himself a great service during qualifying for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix by setting the fastest time. The Dutchman knows that he will start the race on the front row of the grid on Sunday afternoon. However, qualifying did not go according to plan, Verstappen told Red Bull Racing's press release.

Where Mercedes proved during the free practices that it had the fastest car, there was little evidence of this in qualifying. With a time of 1:22:109 Verstappen set an excellent performance and was almost four tenths faster than his competitor who starts the race in second place.

Verstappen set the time on the softest compound, but that tyre choice was not intended according to the driver. "I originally planned to start on the mediums but I flat spotted my tires so I had to go onto the softs," he explained. "I actually felt okay on the softs during the long runs so hopefully it will work out tomorrow in the race."

Perez and Bottas not starting in top three

Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas showed a lesser performance in qualifying. While the Mexican is fourth on the grid, Bottas has to settle for a sixth starting position. Lando Norris surprised in Abu Dhabi by setting the third fastest time.