George Russell wasn't fazed by a busy schedule having participated in Formula 1's first free practice for Force India before jumping back into his GP3 car for a qualifying session in Abu Dhabi, as the Briton snatched pole position by three-tenths.
It's Russell's fourth pole of the season – his Arden team have taken ever pole this year – with team-mates Leonardo Pulcini and Niko Kari in second and third.
The new champion’s best time of 1:54.751 came after the chequered flag had dropped: Russell was the last man in a series of quickest laps to ensure that his rivals realised he will not be taking this weekend easily just because the pressure of the championship is over.
The track opened to hot and sunny conditions, with all of the drivers running straight out to take advantage of the F1 rubber from their recent free practice.
Russell, who had helped to lay down some of it, was taking the early part of the session easy as his rivals squabbled over the top spot: Dorian Boccolacci, Arjun Maini and Dan Ticktum all spent time on the top spot before returning to the pits, with Russell staying out one lap later and running green in sector one and purple in sector two before ominously aborting the lap as he returned to the pits, confident he had more to come.
With five minutes remaining the drivers were swapping best times in the various sectors as they warmed their tyres for the push to the flag: Pulcini and then Russell claimed P1 with a few minutes remaining, then pulled back for a slow lap before pushing again on the last tour.
Maini ran wide out of the marina section and lost his chance while up front Kari topped the timesheets before being usurped by teammate Pulcini and then Russell as the chequered flag dropped, and the session was over.
Behind the top three Ticktum just missed out again for P4, but finished ahead of Maini, Nirei Fukuzumi, Boccolacci (who lost time in sector two and missed his chance to shine), Raoul Hyman, Anthoine Hubert and Alessio Lorandi were among the 12 drivers within a second of the top spot, all of whom will be looking to unleash their speed in tomorrow’s Race 1.
19th placed Juan Manuel Correa will start from the pitlane after being handed a three-place grid penalty for impeding.
