One more spin around the block

Abu Dhabi is Hamilton's 88th career pole position

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Hamilton has got what he wanted in Abu Dhabi so far - a pole position to end a season in which the only minor blot on his record had until that point been that team-mate Bottas had more poles than him.

Hamilton had made it clear that irked him, so he was delighted with a superlative lap to make them five each in terms of poles and which put Hamilton 14-7 ahead on their qualifying head-to-head.

He is hot favourite, too, to take his 11th win of the season, which would equal his best tally for a year.

Bottas has been demoted to the back with a penalty for using too many engine parts and on the face of the weekend so far, neither Red Bull nor Ferrari look quite on Mercedes' level.

Verstappen said: "We just seemed to lack a bit of grip compared to them. They are always really dominant on this track and we are just lacking a bit too much in that last sector.

"We have to be realistic and I think Mercedes is really quick but we will give it everything we have in the race."

But Mercedes are wary of all threats and while Ferrari were not competitive on the soft tyre in qualifying, Hamilton pointed out that Leclerc had topped second qualifying on the medium tyre, albeit Mercedes had not done a second run, and Wolff said Ferrari's race pace on the hard in Friday practice had also been impressive.

The Ferraris being on split strategies - with Leclerc starting on the medium like Hamilton and Verstappen, and Vettel on the soft - also complicates matters.

"Red Bull was the strongest compared to us on the long runs but Ferrari are fast on the straights and that gives them overtaking opportunity," Wolff said, "and I think all of us will have a chance for the victory tomorrow."

Hamilton has walked the championship but the racing has been terrific for much of the year. Abu Dhabi is not famous for exciting races - to say the least - but it would be nice to end the season on a high.

Not many would bet against Hamilton, though.