Let the Final Ultimate Mega-Super Battle of the Teammates commence! Lewis Hamilton’s really not letting the Formula One world drivers’ championship go without a fight. Hamilton laid down a pole-winning qualifying lap in Abu Dhabi, 0.303 seconds faster than his teammate and fellow title contender Nico Rosberg.
Hamilton’s 1.38.755 was simply untouchable by everyone else on the grid. Rosberg, who currently leads Hamilton in the world drivers’ championship by 12 points, put in a 1.39.058 lap for the second spot on the grid next to Hamilton.
To win the championship, all Rosberg has to do is finish on the podium for his teammate’s results not to matter at all. If he finishes any lower, Hamilton will have to finish lower in this last race, too.
For Hamilton to surprise-steal the title away from his teammate, he must finish on the podium. If he wins, Rosberg only has to finish fourth or lower. (Fox Sports broke down all the championship scenarios here, for the curious.)
That shouldn’t—in theory—be hard for Rosberg, as he’s in the dominant car of the season. Of course, the pressure is clearly on and Hamilton seems to have found his mojo again, coming into Abu Dhabi with a streak of wins. Abu Dhabi makes it Hamilton’s fourth consecutive pole position.
Of course, it’s yet another year where Mercedes vs. Other Mercedes is the only battle left for the championship, but hopefully Formula One will have more competitive teams after a major rules change goes into effect in 2017.
You can view the full qualifying results here.