McLaren on pole for first constructors’ title since 1998

ABU DHABI: Lando Norris wants to lead McLaren to their first constructors´ title since 1998 in style after claiming pole on Saturday ahead of team-mate Oscar Piastri for Sunday´s decisive season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Norris clocked a best lap in one minute and 22.595 seconds to outpace Piastri by two-tenths of a second under floodlights at the Yas Marina Circuit with Carlos Sainz, who leaves Ferrari after Sunday´s race, taking third.

Ferrari are bidding to overhaul McLaren´s 21-point advantage in the constructors´ championship but suffered a major setback when Charles Leclerc failed to make the top ten shootout and, with a 10-place penalty, will start at the back of the grid.

"It was a perfect, perfect day for us," said Norris.

"Probably a little bit tougher than we were hoping for. We´ve been quick all weekend and we´re pleased with the one-two but it was a bit trickier than we´d have liked.

"My lap in the end was strong and it was just how we wanted to end today.

"We´ve got to beat Ferrari -- that´s the aim, but we´ve got to do it in style. I want to win! We know what we have to do so we are keeping our heads down."

Piastri said: "We´ll do whatever we can to win the championship - that is by far the biggest goal. I´m sure we´d both love to win, but I´m sure everyone would love to win the championship even more so I want to make sure that happens." Sainz, who joins Williams next season when Mercedes´ seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton takes his seat at Ferrari, said he will "give it everything to see if we can win the race and give ourselves the best chance".

In his last qualifying with Mercedes, Hamilton suffered misfortune by collecting an errant bollard that ruined his final lap and led to him being knocked out in Q1 ahead of his last race with the team.

"The timing of that was just nuts," said Hamilton, who like several other drivers, has been keeping his feelings in check before leaving.

"I´ll try to do something, but to do it from P18 or whatever is different to go from P1 or P2. I am trying to be present and this car is so much nicer to drive so my hopes are high to come back from this."

Sainz added: "If I´m honest, I have not been very emotional this weekend just because the level of focus is so high and there is so much at stake."

Leclerc admitted he felt disappointed after his Q1 exit. "I don´t feel down, but I´m very disappointed, I´m very disappointed with what happened with the engineers, but that makes me even more motivated for tomorrow -- to try and do something special, I will give it all."

Team boss Toto Wolff blamed Mercedes for Hamilton´s misfortune by sending him out too late in the session when he unluckily collected the bollard, which wrecked his lap, after it had been flicked into his path by Kevin Magnussen´s Haas.

"I don´t have any emotions," he said. "I´m pretty chilled. It was an unfortunate session, and it was just nuts that we got the bollard under the car when we did. I was third in FP3 and honestly I thought we might be fighting for the podium."