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Agence France-Presse

Lewis Hamilton claimed pole for today’s Sunday’s title-showdown Abu Dhabi Grand Prix by outpacing his Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg in Saturday’s tense and dramatic qualifying at the Yas Marina circuit.
The defending three-time champion dominated the session and clocked a fastest time of one minute and 38.755 seconds to beat his championship-leading German rival by three-tenths of a second.
Hamilton’s performance gives him the ideal opportunity to claim a fourth consecutive victory in the race in which Rosberg can secure his maiden drivers title if he finishes on the podium.
Hamilton, who trails Rosberg by 12 points, said: “I didn’t over-cook into turn one and after that I was in total control. It’s been a great weekend so far.

“I’ve got the car in a real sweet spot, with some great work done by my engineers and faultless mechanics who’ve done an incredible job.”
The Mercedes team’s non-executive chairman, Niki Lauda, said:“Lewis did an incredible job – a really incredible job – and you can’t say more.”
It is the Briton’s 12th pole of the season, a personal record, his third in Abu Dhabi and the 61st of his career. In the process, he ended Rosberg’s hopes of a third consecutive pole at the circuit.
Rosberg reflected: “I came here to take pole and win the race and so I am not ecstatic about today, but Lewis did a great job.
“I felt good out there and had a good balance and got a good lap in the end, but it wasn’t good enough.”
Australian Daniel Ricciardo produced a scorching late lap to take third for Red Bull ahead of Kimi Raikkonen and his Ferrari teammate Sebastian Vettel and Dtuch teenager Max Verstappen in the second Red Bull.

Nico Hulkenberg was seventh for Force India ahead of his teammate Sergio Perez, Fernando Alonso, of McLaren, and retirement-bound Brazilian Felipe Massa who was 10th for the Williams team.
As the sun went down in a blaze of distant late heat, retirement-bound 2009 champion Jenson Button was on top after eight minutes to the delight of his mother and sister, grinning in the McLaren garage.
Hamilton and Rosberg joined the fray with the defending champion clocking his lap in 1:39.487 to go top ahead of his Mercedes teammate by a full second.
By the end of Q1, Hamilton’s lap remained quickest ahead of both Ferraris and Verstappen ahead of Rosberg.
Out went Daniil Kvyat in his Toro Rosso together with Kevin Magnussen of Renault, Felipe Nasr of Sauber and Esteban Ocon of Manor.
Surprisingly, Carlos Sainz was also eliminated in 21st place in the second Toro Rosso ahead of Marcus Ericsson of Sauber.

Pascal Wehrlein escaped the “drop six” and made it into Q2 in the final seconds together with Jolyon Palmer, of Renault. “Whooo-hoo, easy-peasy,” sang Wehrlein on team radio.
Hamilton was quickly out and back on top in Q2 with an improved lap in 1:39.382.
That was good enough for him to lead the way as Rosberg tried to eliminate a few minor errors and draw level, finishing one-tenth down but ahead of Raikkonen and Verstappen.
In a final flurry of action, Massa and Alonso made it through to the top 10 shoot-out and knocked their respective teammates Bottas and Button out.
They missed out along with Mexican Esteban Gutierrez and his Haas teammate, Frenchman Romain Grosjean, Palmer and Wehrlein as darkness descended and the track temperature dropped to 29 degrees Celsius.
Hamilton was out swiftly again to improve with an initial lap in 1:39.013 ahead of Rosberg, who pushed hard, but was still down by three-tenths of a second again in second place.
It set up a dramatic finale with Hamilton out first again to prove his mastery again with a smooth and supreme performance.


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Lewis Hamilton takes pole ahead of Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg as they gear up for world championship showdown

Mercedes teammates Nico Rosberg (left) and Lewis Hamilton shake hands after qualifying for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Photo: EPA

epa05648363 British Formula One driver Lewis British of Mercedes AMG GP reacts as he took pole position in the qualifying session at Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, 26 November 2016. The Formula One Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi will take place on 27 November 2016. EPA/SRDJAN SUKI

epa05648359 British Formula One driver Lewis British (C) of Mercedes AMG GP reacts as he took pole position in the qualifying session ahead German Formula One driver Nico Rosberg (L) of Mercedes AMG GP and Australian Formula One driver Daniel Ricciardo of Red Bull Racing at Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, 26 November 2016. The Formula One Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi will take place on 27 November 2016. EPA/SRDJAN SUKI

Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team's Team Chief Toto Wolff looks on ahead of the qualifying session as part of the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix at the Yas Marina circuit on November 26, 2016. / AFP PHOTO / Andrej ISAKOVIC

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The German needs to finish third to win his first crown while the defending champion has nothing to lose in the season finale in Abu Dhabi


Lewis Hamilton