As if presenting the year in microcosm, qualifying for the Formula One season finale in Abu Dhabi reflected almost perfectly a pecking order that is as celebratory for some as it is painful for others. Max Verstappen and Red Bull were once more on top, claiming pole position, while Lewis Hamilton and George Russell languished in all too familiar fifth and sixth places for Mercedes.
For Hamilton it was another trying afternoon in a season he admitted he could not wait to put behind him. “I’m looking forward to the end of Tuesday [after the final tyre test] which is the last time I have to drive this,” he said. “I don’t ever plan to drive this one again. This won’t be one of the cars I request to have as part of my contract.”
