PADDOCK PASS: All the reaction from the drivers as Verstappen snatches first pole of 2020

With Mercedes having taken every pole position in Abu Dhabi since 2014, and every pole this season bar one, it seemed a fair bet that the Silver Arrows would find one of their cars in P1 for the 2020 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix by the end of qualifying. But that was until Red Bull's Max Verstappen put in a wunderlap under the floodlights to claim pole position.

Having lost out on pole by 0.056s last week at the Sakhir Grand Prix to the Mercedes pair, Verstappen turned the tables at Yas Marina, qualifying 0.086s ahead of third-placed Lewis Hamilton, with Valtteri Bottas in P2, 0.025s off the Dutchman.

READ MORE: Verstappen thrilled to net pole with ‘final send of the season’, as Horner says ‘he can always surprise you’

Meanwhile, there was much to celebrate at McLaren too, as Lando Norris took P4, while Carlos Sainz took sixth – with the Spaniard having made it through Q2 on the strategically-advantageous medium tyre to boot.

Enjoy Paddock Pass in the video above as we round up all the driver reaction from a thrilling qualifying for the 2020 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – or head to Spotify to tune into a podcast version.