Formula 1 qualifying results: Starting grid for 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

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The grid for Sunday is set.

In the championship-deciding Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, it will be Max Verstappen starting from pole position, his 10th pole of the season — and the most important of the year.

In a twist, Red Bull decided to enter Q2 with soft-compound tires on their car, leading to Verstappen taking the top time in the session. That'll be a differing strategy from Mercedes, who will be starting the race on the mediums.

MORE: Watch Formula 1 live with fuboTV (7-day free trial)

In Q3, Verstappen took a full half-second over Hamilton, thanks in part to a tow from teammate Sergio Perez, who finished fourth in qualifying. Surprisingly, Hamilton's teammate, Valtteri Bottas, didn't finish in the top-five in qualifying, leaving Mercedes in a small pickle entering Sunday.

Here's how they'll line up in the final race on Sunday:

Formula 1 starting lineup for 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

On soft-compound tires, Verstappen took the fastest lap of the qualifying session. His Red Bull teammate, Sergio Perez, will be starting fourth.

Lewis Hamilton will start second. He will race on medium tires, as opposed to Red Bull's soft.

Position Driver (Team)
1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
2. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
3. Lando Norris (McLaren)
4. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
5. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
6. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)
7. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
8. Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri)
9. Esteban Ocon (Alpine)
10. Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren)
11. Fernando Alonso (Alpine)
12. Pierre Gasly (AlphaTauri)
13. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
14. Antonio Giovinazzi (Alfa Romeo)
15. Sebastian Vettel (Aston Martin)
16. Nicholas Latifi (Williams)
17. George Russell (Williams)
18. Kimi Raikkonen (Alfa Romeo)
19. Mick Schumacher (Haas)
20. Nikita Mazepin (Haas)

What channel is the F1 race on Sunday?

  • Race: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
  • Date: Sunday, Dec. 12
  • TV channel: ESPN2
  • Live stream: fuboTV

The ESPN family of networks will broadcast all 2021 F1 races in the United States using Sky Sports' feed with select late-season races airing on ABC.

ESPN Deportes serves as the exclusive Spanish-language home for all 2021 F1 races in the U.S.

What time does the F1 race start today?

  • Date: Sunday, Dec. 12
  • Start time: 8 a.m. ET

The 8 a.m. ET start time for Sunday's race means the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will start at 5 p.m. local time. Lights out will likely take place just after 8 a.m. ET. ESPN's prerace show usually airs in the hour before the start of the race.

Below is the complete schedule for the weekend's F1 events at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Date Event Time (ET) TV channel
Friday, Dec. 10 Practice 1 4:30 a.m. ESPNU
Friday, Dec. 10 Practice 2 8 a.m. ESPNU
Saturday, Dec. 11 Practice 3 5 a.m. ESPN2
Saturday, Dec. 11 Qualifying 8 a.m. ESPN2
Sunday, Dec. 12 Race 8 a.m. ESPN2

Formula 1 live stream for Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

For those who don't have a cable or satellite subscription, there are five major OTT TV streaming options that carry ESPN: fuboTV, Sling, Hulu, YouTubeTV and AT&T Now. Of the five, Hulu, fuboTV and YouTubeTV offer free-trial options.

Below are links to each.

For those who do have a cable or satellite subscription but are not in front of a TV, Formula 1 races in 2021 can be streamed live via phones, tablets and other devices on the ESPN app with authentication.

Formula 1 schedule 2021

In all, there are 23 scheduled races in the 2021 F1 season with the Portuguese Grand Prix sliding onto the docket the first week in March. The originally scheduled Vietnam Grand Prix was removed after the arrest of Nguyen Duc Chung, while the Chinese Grand Prix is up in the air. It was originally scheduled for April 11 but will likely not take place this season.

All races will be broadcast in the U.S. on the ESPN family of networks with the United States Grand Prix and Mexico City Grand Prix both airing on ABC. The Singapore Grand Prix was also removed from the schedule. The Turkish Grand Prix returned to the schedule in its stead.

(Note: The on-the-hour start times do not include the broadcast start time, which is typically five minutes before the start of the race. Times do not include ESPN's customary prerace shows.)

MORE: Live stream F1 races all season on fuboTV (7-day free trial)

Here's the latest schedule:

Date Race Course Start time TV channel Winner
March 28 Bahrain Grand Prix Bahrain International Circuit 11 a.m. ESPN2 Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
April 18 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari 9 a.m. ESPN Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
May 2 Portuguese Grand Prix Algarve International Circuit 10 a.m. ESPN Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
May 9 Spanish Grand Prix Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya 9 a.m. ESPN Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
May 23 Monaco Grand Prix Circuit de Monaco 9 a.m. ESPN2 Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
June 6 Azerbaijan Grand Prix Baku City Circuit 8 a.m. ESPN Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
June 20 French Grand Prix Circuit Paul Ricard 9 a.m. ESPN Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
June 27 Styrian Grand Prix Red Bull Ring 9 a.m. ESPN Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
July 4 Austrian Grand Prix Red Bull Ring 9 a.m. ESPN Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
July 18 British Grand Prix Silverstone Circuit 10 a.m. ESPN Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
Aug. 1 Hungarian Grand Prix Hungaroring 9 a.m. ESPN Esteban Ocon (Alpine)
Aug. 29 Belgian Grand Prix Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps 9 a.m. ESPN2 Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
Sept. 5 Dutch Grand Prix Circuit Zandvoort 9 a.m. ESPN2 Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
Sept. 12 Italian Grand Prix Autodromo Nazionale di Monza 9 a.m. ESPN2 Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren)
Sept. 26 Russian Grand Prix Sochi Autodrom 8 a.m. ESPN2 Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
Oct. 10 Turkish Grand Prix Intercity Istanbul Park 8 a.m. ESPN2 Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)
Oct. 24 United States Grand Prix Circuit of the Americas 3 p.m. ABC Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
Oct. 31 Mexico City Grand Prix Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez 3 p.m. ABC Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
Nov. 7 Brazilian Grand Prix Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace Noon ESPN2 Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
Nov. 21 Qatar Grand Prix Losail International Circuit 9 a.m. ESPN2 Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
Dec. 5 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Jeddah Street Circuit 11 p.m. ESPN2 Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
Dec. 12 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Yas Marina Circuit 8 a.m. ESPN2 TBD
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