Max lays down 'marker' ahead of title showdown – 2025 Abu Dhabi GP qualifying review
F1 Nation
Formula 1
4.3 • 1.2K Ratings
🗓️ 6 December 2025
⏱️ 16 minutes
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Summary
The three title contenders make up the top three on the grid – with Max Verstappen on pole, championship leader Lando Norris in second and Oscar Piastri in third.
How can Max make life difficult for Lando and Oscar behind? What can we expect from the McLaren drivers at the start into turn 1? Will team orders come into play? And what impact could the likes of George Russell in P4 and Charles Leclerc in P5 have on the fight at the front?
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Max Verstappen though, on fire again, on pole position again, |
| 0:07.0 | and our top three contenders for the title are in the top three on the grid. |
| 0:13.0 | Let's go guys. That was, let's say. |
| 0:17.0 | Yes. Lovely. |
| 0:22.7 | When pressure is high, or when you really need to perform, normally I perform. |
| 0:26.1 | We're still going to go and plan for how we can win the race. |
| 0:28.6 | This is how I want to end the season. |
| 0:29.9 | Setting on top, nothing changes when I say. |
| 0:32.1 | Funny things can happen. |
| 0:33.5 | That's what I'm going to. |
| 0:36.7 | Welcome everyone to Abu Dhabi for a bonus F1 Nation podcast after a huge qualifying session ahead of Sunday's three-way title showdown between Lando Norris, Max Verstappen and Oscar Piestri. |
| 0:50.4 | I'm Tom Clarkson, and joining me in the Asmarina Paddock is F1 correspondent and presenter Lawrence Barreto. |
| 0:57.0 | Lawrence, what a session. |
| 0:59.2 | The three title contenders make up the top three for Stappan from Norris, from Piastri. |
| 1:05.3 | What a show we've got tomorrow. |
| 1:07.9 | I mean, Tom, if we could have written it, that's exactly what we wanted. We wanted the top three up close and personal on the grid tomorrow. I mean, Tom, if we could have written it, that's exactly what we wanted. |
| 1:10.8 | We wanted the top three up close and personal on the grid tomorrow and they delivered. |
| 1:16.1 | And look, fair play to Max. |
| 1:18.0 | He didn't deliver just one pole lap that was good enough for pole. |
| 1:21.4 | He delivered two laps that were good enough for poll. |
| 1:23.8 | He is frighteningly good and he's already laid down a marker I think in Lando and Oscar's mind about |
| 1:30.0 | the kind of approach he's going to take to tomorrow's race well go on what do you think that is |
... |
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