P1racenews AI automatic summary:
"Weird" for Verstappen to claim F1 Abu Dhabi GP pole after struggles
Despite struggling throughout the weekend, Red Bull driver Max Verstappen managed to secure his 12th pole position of the season, narrowly beating his Ferrari rival Charles Leclerc by 0.139 seconds. Verstappen had criticized the performance of his car during practice sessions, leading to doubts about his ability to qualify well. He described the car’s behavior as “very weird” and mentioned the difficulty in taming it. However, the team made improvements before qualifying, allowing Verstappen to push harder and secure the top position. Despite these challenges, Verstappen remains uncertain about his performance in the upcoming race but has enjoyed the season overall. He highlighted the car’s tendency to slide too much during practice, limiting their learning opportunities.
