Mercedes was surprised: 'It was a tricky qualifying'

Lewis Hamilton was hoping to secure the P1 during qualifying for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, but nothing was further from the truth. Max Verstappen ran off with pole position and has a small advantage on Sunday afternoon. Andrew Shovlin however is confident that things will work out.

Mercedes seemed to benefit from the second sector prior to qualifying. The two long straights bring the car of the German racing team in its power. Hamilton and his team were unable to capitalize on this, however, as he was second fastest in Q3.

Shovlin saw that Hamilton was struggling, he told Mercedes' press release. "It was a tricky qualifying for both drivers and unusually, the car felt at its best in the first session and seemed to get less competitive as we progressed," stated the British engineer, who is realistic. "Of course it would have made tomorrow easier if we had pole."

Shovlin confident of world title

At the same time, the Mercedes man remains confident in Hamilton's chances. He indicated that the team will be working through the night to give Hamilton the best possible start to the race.