Team Summary:
With the start of the opening eighteen minute period for qualifying for the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix there would be a flood of drivers all coming out on the soft tyre. Both Red Bull cars were out early looking to check their cars having made changes to their rear wings prior to the period. Perez would set a 1m:24.253 but Tsunoda would move ahead then Verstappen with a 1m:23.680. Gasly was now second from Tsunoda and Perez. Both Williams cars were out running on the soft tyre as we had both Ferrari's running on the medium. Hamilton would go quickest with a 1m:23.266 with Bottas now second. Verstappen was now third followed by Norris, Alonso, Gasly, Tsunoda, Ricciardo, Perez and Sainz tenth.

After their first runs the Williams cars were now 14th and 18th. Verstappen would improve to be second ahead of Bottas and Perez with Norris able to move into fourth ahead of Perez as the session would be red flagged to allow for the recovery of a bollard that had been hot by Schumacher sending it into the middles of the track where it was hit by Norris. With the field returning to their pits the bollard would be recovered. The period would restart with a rush of drivers coming out all on the soft tyre. The Williams cars weer currently 15th and 18th as they started their second runs. Hamilton would go quicker with a 1m:22.845 as we would see both Williams cars out of qualifying. Hamilton would finish ahead of Bottas with Verstappen third and Perez fourth. Tsunoda was fifth followed by Leclerc, Gasly, Norris, Sainz, and Ocon tenth.

The second period would see the majority of drivers out on the medium tyre except for the Aston Martins who were on the soft tyre. But they would be joined by both Ferrari's, Alpine's and Ricciardo all on the soft tyre. The first runs would see Hamilton quickest with a 1m:23.185 followed by Verstappen, Bottas, Tsunoda, Norris, Perez, Stroll, and Giovinazzi eighth. But using the soft tyres Leclerc was now fourth and Alonso and Ocon seventh and eighth. but it would be Sainz who would go quickest with a 1m:23.174 using the soft tyre.

Verstappen would say that he had flat spotted his race set of medium tyre so he would pit taking on the soft tyre for his next run. On their second runs Hamilton would go quicker with a 1m:23.145 but Perez would move ahead but using the soft tyre with a 1mL23,135. Alonso using the soft tyre Verstappen would go quicker with a 1m:22.800. Perez was now second followed by Hamilton, Sainz, Leclerc, Bottas, Norris, Tsunoda, Ocon, and Ricciardo tenth.

The final period would commence with every driver on the soft tyre and after their first flying laps it would be Verstappen quickest with a 1m:22.109 followed by Hamilton, Perez, Bottas, Sainz, Leclerc, Norris, Ocon and Ricciardo. But for Tsunoda his first lap had been deleted seeing him with no time. On their second runs Hamilton would not improve remaining in second behind Verstappen. Norris was now third followed by Perez, Sainz, Bottas, Leclerc, Tsunoda, Ocon and Ricciardo tenth. So we would have the two main championship rivals starting on the front row of the grid. For Williams their grid positions were somewhat less than the team would have no doubt hoped for but 16th and 17th could see them achieve a positive result in Sundays race.

George Russell:
George would take to the track for his first soft tyre run. George would set a 1m:24.616 to be ninth but would drop to 13th. This would become 14th despite having improved with a 1m:24.423. With a Red Flag he would pit after a four lap soft tyre run. He would drop to 16th as he prepared to start his last flying lap. This would become 17th as he pitted having failed to improve so he was out of qualifying. George would comment to his engineer that he felt that the approach they took in qualifying was wrong and that there was more pace, which if that was the case was a shame for Russell.

Nicholas Latifi:
Nicholas would take to the track also using the soft tyre. Nicholas had set a 1m:25.150 to be currently 18th. Despite setting a 1m:25.010 he would remain 18th. With the Red Flag Nicholas would pit after a four lap run. With the restart he would return again on soft tyres. He would set a 1m:24.338 to be 15th but this would become 16th seeing him out of qualifying.