“It’s definitely been a difficult weekend”- Lewis Hamilton puts blame on COVID-19 recovery exhaustion as he finished on the second grid.
Lewis Hamilton has surprisingly finished on the second grid, which is something now rare to see, as Mercedes dominates the F1 track in the hybrid era.
The Yas Marina is usually a stronghold of Mercedes have not finished on the pole here for the first time since 2013, as Max Verstappen cruises over Valtteri Bottas’ lap time.
“It’s definitely been a difficult weekend, just getting back into a rhythm. Even though it’s only a couple of weeks off it just felt like you’d lost that momentum and I’ve really struggled with the balance this weekend.
“But still I gave it my all and congratulations to Max. It’s a great way for him to seal a year of great performance. It’s always nice to seal first but it just makes it more exciting. I’m definitely excited to see how I can turn it around.”
Max Verstappen on course for a second win this season
Verstappen had an impressive run in the qualifying, as he unexpectedly passed over Bottas, who seemed to be on the pole with his lap timing at Yas Marina.
As the circuit since its introduction has been attacked for its lack of aggression and the overtakes, which makes the fans find the race boring for a long time.
Though it is true that it is difficult for a car to beat the leading car at Abu Dhabi, it has been Mercedes all this while, who have been leading upfront for most of the times.
Thus, it will be interesting to see how Red Bull will be maintaining its advantage, and will it change the competition for the P1 on Sunday, as the final race of the season is here.
