F1 qualifying LIVE: Max Verstappen takes pole position ahead of Sergio Perez at Abu Dhabi GP

Alonso, Tsunoda, Schumacher, Stroll and Zhou are eliminated in Q2.

Perez fastest there, followed by Leclerc, Sainz, Verstappen, Hamilton, Norris, Russell, Vettel, Ocon and Ricciardo.

Vettel and Ocon go faster than Alonso, then Schumacher also lifts himself into the top 10.

Zhou doesn’t do enough to get safe, despite an improvement, but Tsunoda certainly does. Ricciardo then goes eighth to put Tsunoda and Schumacher straight back into the bottom five.

At the top end Sainz gets past Hamilton’s time, into the top three.

Hamilton thinks he’s clocked a good lap and is unimpressed to hear he’s still three-tenths behind Perez.

Everyone other than the Mercedes pair are out now as we head into the final couple of minutes. Time to get out now if you want to record another flying lap.

Verstappen says he had “no rear grip” over the radio as he goes out on another lap. Hamilton, down in ninth, is about 0.6s behind Perez two-thirds of the way around his own lap.

Can either Mercedes man lift themselves here?

Yes, significantly. Hamilton into second and Russell into fourth.

Four minutes left. Zhou, Schumacher, Stroll, Ricciardo and Tsunoda in danger at the moment.

Under eight minutes to go in Q2.

Perez and Verstappen now the top two, both Ferraris go quicker than the Mercedes pair and then so does Lando Norris, who gets himself into fourth.

It was Perez who finished ahead of champion Verstappen in FP3 too.

One of the duo are getting on a few drivers’ nerves though; in Q1 George Russell made a complaint and now Vettel does too, over the radio: “Again, Red Bull in the last corner.”

Russell and Hamilton are both out early in Q2.

The veteran is first and crosses the line in 1:25.772...and Russell follows him, coming in in 0.4s quicker.

The brake “still a problem”, says Lewis over the team radio.

Toto Wolff entirely expressionless as he watches on. With a camera in his face, in fairness.

Some good runs to point out, Lando taking fifth in Q1 and Zhou in ninth.

Both the Mercedes drivers will be aiming for better as we progress through qualifying, you feel. Can they match Ferrari’s one-lap pace?

Out in Q1:

Magnussen, Gasly, Bottas, Albon and Latifi.

Zhou and Schumacher produced good final laps to clock decent spots in the top 15.

Magnussen just about does enough to overhaul Gasly and it’s Tsunoda next...easily surpasses those above him, putting Magnussen back in the bottom five.

Valtteri Bottas has not managed to post a good run at all and he’ll be going out in Q1.

Vettel flies around - he’s up to fifth fastest and then Latifi, Zhou and Stroll also post better times. Schumacher does too and gets up to 10th, but still with plenty behind him waiting to finish a lap.