Mirage man: Lewis Hamilton dazzles in the desert, storming to pole in Abu Dhabi

By Sportsmail Reporter Last updated at 2:26 PM on 31st October 2009 Lewis Hamilton lit up the new Yas Marina circuit as the sun set on the final qualifying session of the 2009 Formula One season.Against the stunning backdrop of the Middle East’s new 800million motor sport playground, last year’s world champion was quickest at the end of every period ahead of tomorrow’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.McLaren star Hamilton ultimately grabbed the 17th pole of his career in dominant fashion, finishing almost 0.7 seconds ahead of Sebastian Vettel as the Red Bull driver aims to cement second place in the drivers’ standings.Hopes of an all-British front row for the first time since the 1995 Australian Grand Prix came to nothing as new world champion Jenson Button will start fifth in his Brawn GP. The man to beat: Hamilton recorded his fourth pole in seven races Mark Webber, winner of the Brazilian Grand Prix a fortnight ago, ensured Hamilton will be pushed by Red Bull at the start of the 55-lap race as the Australian claimed third.Rubens Barrichello again pipped team-mate Button for the 10th time this season as the Brazilian, in what many believe is his last race for Brawn, starts fourth.Toyota’s Jarno Trulli and BMW Sauber duo Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld are sixth, seventh and eighth, with Nico Rosberg in his Williams ninth and Sebastien Buemi 10th for Toro Rosso.Any hope Ferrari had of finishing third in the constructors’ race, so ousting McLaren, are now slim as Kimi Raikkonen missed out on a place in the top 10 for only the third time this season.The Finn, in his final race for Ferrari and with his destination unknown for next year, starts 11th, with Toyota’s Kamui Kobayashi alongside him on row six.Heikki Kovalainen, potentially in the last-chance saloon with McLaren, is down in 13th after a gearbox issue cut short his track time in the middle 15-minute period.If a replacement is more than likely required it means he will incur a five-place penalty and will drop to 18th for the race. Champion: Button qualified in fifth, his highest start since Valencia in August The Finn is followed by Williams’ Kazuki Nakajima, another almost certainly on his way out of F1, and Toro Rosso’s Jaime Alguersuari who for now start 14th and 15th. Renault suffered their worst qualifying performance of the season as neither Fernando Alonso nor Romain Grosjean…

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Posted by admin 31 October 2009

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