2024 F1 Abu Dhabi GP: Qualifying Predictions
The first day of running in the F1 Abu Dhabi GP is done and dusted, with the last two days to decide the constructors championship. The day ended with the McLaren duo in P1 and P2, while Ferrari appeared to be a step behind in terms of pace.
To exacerbate things, Charles Leclerc is expected to pick up a 10-place grid penalty for using a new battery, which could affect him for the F1 Abu Dhabi GP on Sunday as well. The session also featured a surprise performance from Nico Hulkenberg, who ended the day in P3. Max Verstappen, though, didn't have the best of days, as the Red Bull driver struggled on his push lap on soft tyres.
On a track like Abu Dhabi, qualifying becomes crucial because safety cars are rare, so it's harder for anyone having a poor grid position to make up places. It's going to be crucial to qualify as high as possible for the race. So, what can we expect from the session, and how will it pan out? Let's take a look:
#1 Lando Norris to secure pole position at Abu Dhabi GP
This one is probably the more straightforward, as it appears that McLaren are in the groove when it comes to performance and ability to fire up the tyres around this track compared to Ferrari. It seems to be one area where the lower temperatures during qualifying hurt the Italian team.
Moreover, Lando Norris has been right on the money when it comes to getting the car in the right window and getting the lap times onboard. With Oscar Piastri maybe half a step behind Norris at the moment, expect the Brit to secure another pole position.
#2 Max Verstappen and George Russell to qualify in top 5
Max Verstappen and George Russell ended Friday a tad disappointed with how the day went. They were also a bit disappointed to see their cars not being in the right window.
Nevertheless, both have shown an ability to consistently be right on the money by Saturday. Both Mercedes and Red Bull will be working on the cars, trying to make improvements overnight in the simulator to make things better.
So, expect both drivers to arrive on the track on Saturday with a better grip on things and qualify inside the top 5.
#3 Both Haas drivers to make it to Q3
Nico Hülkenberg's lap, where the Haas rocketed up to P3, was on a slightly higher engine mode. What's interesting is that the driver did a cooldown lap and went again and was once again within a tenth of that lap.
However, don't quite expect Haas to be that close to the frontrunners because there was an element of playing around with the power unit involved. Nevertheless, it appears that the car is hooked up going into the third sector where most of the time is made over the lap.
The car is not going to be a top-5 contender at the Abu Dhabi GP, but a place in Q3 is not out of question.
#4 Both Alpines might not make it to Q3
On the flip side, Alpine appear to be not suited to the track. The car has been a handful in general, and a lot of issues have been encountered because of the power-dependent nature of the circuit.
The French team is trying to defend P6 in the championship. It will be interesting to see if it can if the Abu Dhabi GP qualifying doesn't go to plan.
#5 Williams to have a strong show
Williams haven't had a good run recently, struggling to put together a great run because of the slew of crashes their drivers have had.
However, the team appear to have regrouped a bit for the Abu Dhabi GP, as both cars had decent underline pace. Unlike Qatar, where the car was nowhere, expect the Abu Dhabi GP to yield a better result for them.