Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri secured a commanding McLaren front-row lockout for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, positioning the team perfectly to claim its first Formula 1 constructors' championship since 1998.

Norris claimed his eighth pole position of the season with a stellar lap, outpacing teammate Piastri by 0.209 seconds. Ferrari's Carlos Sainz qualified third, while his teammate Charles Leclerc faces a challenging race from 19th after a track limits violation and power unit penalty.

McLaren's dominant qualifying performance deals a significant blow to Ferrari's hopes of overturning their 21-point championship deficit. Lewis Hamilton will start from 16th after hitting a bollard during Q1, adding another twist to the championship battle.

Key Qualifying Results:

• Lando Norris (McLaren) - Pole Position
• Oscar Piastri (McLaren) - 2nd
• Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) - 3rd
• Nico Hulkenberg (Haas) - 4th
• Max Verstappen (Red Bull) - 5th

The surprise performer was Haas's Nico Hulkenberg in fourth, putting the American team in a strong position to overtake Alpine for sixth in the constructors' standings. However, Hulkenberg faces a post-session investigation for a pit exit infringement.

Notable performances came from Pierre Gasly in sixth for Alpine, while Mercedes struggled with George Russell managing only seventh. The grid features several penalties affecting the starting order, including Leclerc's power unit penalty and gearbox penalties for Alex Albon and Franco Colapinto.

With McLaren's front row advantage and Ferrari's compromised position, Sunday's race could prove decisive in determining the constructors' championship outcome.

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