ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates -- Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton will start alongside each other on the front of the grid at the title-deciding Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Any other front row would not have seemed right ahead of Sunday's winner-takes-all showdown, and given the performance of the two title rivals at recent races it was never really in doubt.
Verstappen's 0.3s advantage over Hamilton was a surprise, however. Throughout practice and the first two sessions of qualifying, the Mercedes driver held the advantage. But when it mattered, when the pressure was at its highest, Verstappen delivered.