After a season with more twists than a murder mystery, only a fool would try to second guess what happens . But Verstappen has certainly landed the first blow.
However, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff is not worried about Hamilton starting in second place.
"I think he will be angry and that is good," the Austrian said. "Motivated for tomorrow to hunt him down. This is a long race, and this is Lewis Hamilton in the car."
Indeed it is. Pole is powerful here, though. The last time the Abu Dhabi GP was won by a driver who didn't start on pole was way back in 2014. Mind you, the driver who won that year, having started second on the grid? You guessed it.
One thing is certain, this season, which has won the sport a whole legion of new fans, is unlikely to have had its final plot twist. The possibility that the destination of this year's title is eventually decided in the stewards' room, or even a court room, remains very real. McLaren's Lando Norris, who starts third after a brilliant performance, admitted he was so nervous of getting caught up in the drama, he wasn't even sure he would try to race the two championship leaders.
It is impossibly tense. But there was still time for a bit of perspective last. "This year we have been pushing each other to the limit," Verstappen observed at one point in yesterday's final press conference before the main event.
"We really are trying to get everything out of our cars to the last lap, the last corner. It has been really enjoyable for most of the time. In 20 years myself and other people will look back on it and remember this year." Hamilton, seated to his right, looked over at his rival.
"Well said, man," he nodded, approvingly. "It has been an incredible year. An amazing battle. I am grateful I have had such a close battle with Max and his team. They have done an exceptional job, shown true strength and pushed us to the limit in ways that we needed. I hope we have many more seasons like this." And so say all of us.
The Grid
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)
Odds - Race winner
Lewis Hamilton:$1.91
Max Verstappen: $2.00
Weather
Unsurprisingly, it will hot, dry and sunny in Abu Dhabi for the race.
How to catch the action
The match will be broadcast live on F1 TV Pro - the official Formula 1 streaming service - with pre-race coverage beginning at 12:45am.
F1 TV Pro is free for Spark Sport subscribers (after activating their complementary sub by going to f1tv.formula1.com and clicking "Activate and Sync My Account"; Spark has also posted instructions at help.sparksport.co.nz.
Alternatively, Kiwis can sign up directly to F1 Pro TV via the streaming service's website, where New Zealanders can now get a monthly pass for $14.99 or an annual pass for $99.99.
