Formula 1: 2021 Abu Dhabi qualifying – Full starting lineup, odds
By Asher Fair
The starting lineup for the 2021 Formula 1 season finale is set following Saturday’s three-round knockout qualifying session.
For the final time in the 22-race 2021 Formula 1 season, the starting lineup for a Grand Prix was set by way of a three-round knockout qualifying session.
Today’s three-round knockout qualifying session for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was the 22nd session of its kind this year, but it was only the 19th to set the starting lineup for a race.
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Three other qualifying sessions earlier this year set the starting lineup for a sprint qualifying race, which then determined the starting lineup for the main event.
While not present today, sprint qualifying is expected to return for the 22-race season, and for more than just three events.
But in the meantime, let’s wrap up an exciting 2021 season first.
Where is the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix?
The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, which was a 55-lap race around the 21-turn, 3.451-mile (5.554-kilometer) Yas Marina Circuit road course on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, is now a 58-lap race around a revamped 16-turn, 3.281-mile (5.280-kilometer) circuit.
This venue has served as the host of the season finale nine times in 12 years since it was added to the calendar back in 2009, and this year marks its 10th appearance as the last race on the schedule. This year marks eight straight years of the venue hosting the season finale.
Abu Dhabi broadcast information
The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is set to be broadcast live from Yas Marina Circuit on ESPN2 beginning at 7:55 a.m. ET this Sunday, December 12. Start your free trial of FuboTV today and don’t miss any of the action!
Who is on pole in Abu Dhabi?
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen took the pole position for Sunday’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix by recording the fastest lap time in the third and final round of qualifying.
Verstappen took the pole position for this race with a top lap time of 82.109 seconds (143.853 miles per hour), a lap time set via the strategic aid of a tow from teammate Sergio Perez. Perez qualified in fourth place.
Set to start alongside Verstappen on the front row in second place is Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton, the driver with whom he is tied atop the championship standings at 369.5 points.
Hamilton missed out on the pole position by 0.371 seconds (0.647 miles per hour) by recording a top lap time of 82.480 seconds (143.206 miles per hour) in this round. Hamilton’s teammate, Valtteri Bottas, is set to start in sixth.
Here is the full starting lineup for the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina Circuit.
Starting Lineup
1st – Max Verstappen
2nd – Lewis Hamilton
3rd – Lando Norris
4th – Sergio Perez
5th – Carlos Sainz Jr.
6th – Valtteri Bottas
7th – Charles Leclerc
8th – Yuki Tsunoda
9th – Esteban Ocon
10th – Daniel Ricciardo
11th – Fernando Alonso
12th – Pierre Gasly
13th – Lance Stroll
14th – Antonio Giovinazzi
15th – Sebastian Vettel
16th – Nicholas Latifi
17th – George Russell
18th – Kimi Raikkonen
19th – Mick Schumacher
20th – Nikita Mazepin
Abu Dhabi betting odds
Take a look at the betting odds for the top contenders in Sunday’s race, courtesy of WynnBET.
- Max Verstappen: +110
- Lewis Hamilton: +115
- Valtteri Bottas: +1400
- Sergio Perez: +1750
- Lando Norris: +1750
- Carlos Sainz Jr.: +4000
- Charles Leclerc: +5000
- Yuki Tsunoda: +5000
Take a look at the betting odds for the world championship.
- Lewis Hamilton: -130
- Max Verstappen: -108
Abu Dhabi betting prediction
It all comes down to this, and what a week it has been in terms of the shift in betting odds. If you wanted to bet on Hamilton, hopefully you’ve held off until now for greater value, given the huge shift in the betting odds that has taken place from the start of the week until after qualifying.
Once a prohibitive favorite, he now finds himself as a slight underdog, though he remains a slight favorite in the championship battle.
Make your pick now on WynnBET.
It’s not as if all is lost for the seven-time world champion after missing out on the pole position, however, given the fact that he is still set to start the race on the front row and on medium tires, compared to Verstappen’s soft tires.
Verstappen may have an advantage in that his teammate is set to start a row ahead of Hamilton’s, however, and this comes despite the fact that Perez played a key role in Verstappen running his pole lap, sacrificing a lap of his own in the process.
The polesitter has won this race in each of the last six seasons, including last year when Verstappen won it for the first time by leading every lap, but whether or not this is fair to look at ahead of tomorrow’s race remains to be seen, given the fact that the course has seen some modifications since last year.
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