Hamilton’s final stunning lap in 1min 38.755sec carried him three-tenths of a second clear of Rosberg and brought him his personal record 12th pole of the season. PHOTO: AFP
The defending three-time world champion outpaced his Mercedes teammate and championship leader Nico Rosberg by three-tenths of a second with a blistering performance and then enjoyed a joke with Australian Daniel Ricciardo, who was third fastest for the Red Bull team.
“So far, this weekend, I have been focused on getting into this position, but now I am hopeful of hearing Daniel saying ‘winner, winner, chicken dinner’ tomorrow — or second chicken dinner anyway!”
I’m hunting you down, victorious Hamilton warns Rosberg
As the pair laughed in the post-session news conference, German Rosberg struggled to raise a smile, his disappointment clearly apparent after being comprehensively outpaced by the 31-year-old Briton.
Rosberg had been aiming to complete a hat-trick of poles at the Yas Marina circuit where only once has a driver, who did not start on the front row, won the race.
“I came here to try and be on pole and to try and win the race tomorrow,” said Rosberg, clearly disappointed. “I am not ecstatic about today.”
Verstappen out to spoil party in Abu Dhabi
Rosberg added that he was not thinking about the title battle. “It is a bit too much thinking. I want to try to win the race tomorrow,” he said.
Hamilton’s final stunning lap in 1min 38.755sec carried him three-tenths of a second clear of Rosberg and brought him his personal record 12th pole of the season, his third in Abu Dhabi and the 61st of his career.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 27th, 2016.
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