Abu Dhabi GP | Title goes down to the wire as Hamilton beats Rosberg to pole
Lewis Hamilton secured pole position for the last race of the season in Abu Dhabi while Championship leader Nico Rosberg came in second to complete the first row.The title could still head the Briton's way if he finishes first and Rosberg does not make it to the podium.
In the qualifying round today, Hamilton edged out the German by just 0.303 seconds to take pole position in the crucial decider. That also marked the 61st pole of his career.
"Wow, 61 poles. I am going to try to catch Ayrton(Senna). It has been a strange feeling coming here and realising it was going to be the last session, the last qualifying in such a great car - you never know when you are going to have a car like this again," Hamilton said after the game.
"We got the car in a great sweet spot and I want to thank everyone - I would not have the 61 poles if it was not for them. The perfect position for tomorrow," he added.
However, a lot of things will need to go Hamilton's way as Championship leader Rosberg has finished on the podium three out of four times this season.
"I had a good balance and was feeling quite pleased. I got a good lap in the end but it was not good enough. I gave it everything but it wasn't possible to beat Lewis today. But I will give it everything tomorrow," Rosberg said, reported BBC.
The German only needs a podium finish tomorrow to secure his first-ever Championship.
Red Bull driver, Daniel Ricciardo, came in third finishing 0.834secs behind the first-placed Hamilton.
"We have to try something. It seems to be in a bit of a trend, if we are in a position to qualify on a different tyres we will try and see if it gives us a good opportunity. We will see if it puts us in the fight," said the Red Bull driver.
The Ferrari team of Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel could only manage fourth and fifth place, while Red Bull's Max Verstappen finished sixth.
The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix main race will being begin at 5pm local time (6.35pm IST). Indian audiences can catch the race on Star Sports Select HD2.