Lewis Hamilton spoke of his pride in his Mercedes team after they "gave it absolutely everything" but came up just short in the Formula One drivers' championship.
Hamilton was bidding for a record-breaking eighth title in 2021 and battled back admirably after trailing Max Verstappen for much of the year.
It looked as though the Mercedes great would pip Verstappen as he led for the majority of Sunday's decisive Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, only for a late safety car to bring the Dutchman back into contention with one lap to go.
Verstappen, on fresh tyres, was able to get past Hamilton, leaving Mercedes furious with race director Michael Masi.
Immediately after the heartbreaking finish, though, Hamilton congratulated an emotional Verstappen and then turned his attention to the Silver Arrows staff.
"Firstly, a big congratulations to Max and to his team," Hamilton said. "I think we did an amazing job this year.
"Everyone back at the factory, all the men and women we have, they've worked so hard this whole year. It's been the most difficult of seasons. I'm so proud of them, so grateful to be a part of the journey with them.
"We gave it everything in this last part of the season, absolutely everything. We never gave up.
"I've been feeling great in the car this past couple of months, particularly at the end.
"But we're still in the pandemic and I just wish everyone to stay safe and have a good Christmas with their families and we'll see you guys next year."
Max Verstappen sensationally won his first Formula One world championship ahead of Lewis Hamilton as an epic title race concluded in predictably contentious circumstances at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
In only the second championship chase to see the top two enter the final race of the season all square on points, Verstappen had to match Hamilton but struggled to do so for much of Sunday's remarkable race.
Red Bull were furious following an early flashpoint that had Hamilton ahead, yet Mercedes were outraged by the chequered flag as Verstappen, on fresh tyres, was allowed a single lap after a safety car to take the title.
Hamilton looked to have done everything right but paid for Mercedes' call not to bring him into the pit lane in the closing stages.
A tough start had been forecast for Hamilton when he stuck with medium tyres while Verstappen – and others close behind – used softs. Instead, rapid reactions at lights out put the Mercedes in front.
But then the drama truly began, as Verstappen looked to go up the inside at Turn 7 and Hamilton was forced wide and off the track to avoid contact.
The defending champion clearly gained an advantage and pulled away from his rival, only for the stewards – in a decision Verstappen considered "incredible" – to deem Hamilton had given enough time back.
Verstappen and Hamilton both switched to hards in the pits, putting the frontrunner behind Sergio Perez in the second Red Bull car.
Perez doggedly held Hamilton up and brought Verstappen back into play before the Silver Arrow finally got through, able to again build a big lead until a virtual safety car provided another twist.
With Hamilton staying out, Verstappen headed in for a cheap pit stop, potentially setting up a nervy finish with a 17-second deficit on fresh tyres.
Verstappen struggled to find the requisite pace but was given another lifeline by a safety car with four laps remaining.
Again he pitted as Hamilton did not and a dramatic finish saw lapped cars allowed to pass the safety car, infuriating Mercedes and leaving Verstappen one lap to go at the race leader, who he decisively passed at the last.
'NO, MICHAEL, NO!'
This was a day to tune into the team radios, with a number of intriguing exchanges as momentum swung back and forth.
Verstappen hailed Perez as a "legend" for delaying Hamilton, while the Mercedes man considered his team's decision not to box "a bit of a risk" long before another gamble spectacularly backfired.
But Toto Wolff's pleas to race director Michael Masi were the obvious standout, as Hamilton was left exposed on the final lap. "We went car racing," replied Masi.
MAX MAKES HIS MARK
Hamilton fell just short of history on this occasion, stuck on seven titles alongside Michael Schumacher, but there was a new landmark for champion Verstappen.
His 18th podium of the year was undoubtedly the sweetest and made the Dutchman the first man to reach that mark in a single F1 season.
RAIKKONEN RETIRES IN PITS
Away from the title race, Kimi Raikkonen's record-extending 351st and final grand prix in Formula One did not end as planned, with the veteran experiencing braking issues and hitting the barriers at Turn 6 as his rear axle locked up.
Although Raikkonen's Alfa Romeo limped back to the pits, he could not continue and was given a standing ovation as he prematurely exited his car.
Max Verstappen won a controversial rollercoaster Abu Dhabi Grand Prix ahead of Lewis Hamilton to sensationally claim his first Formula One world championship.
Emerson Fittipaldi is one of only two men who knows exactly the emotions Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton will experience as they do battle in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.
Verstappen and Hamilton head into the final grand prix of the Formula One season tied at the top of the standings on 369.5 points.
Red Bull's Verstappen has a slight advantage, having won more races – a potentially pivotal tie-breaker – and taken pole on Saturday, but he will start alongside Hamilton on the front row.
At the 1974 United States Grand Prix, Fittipaldi lined up next to title rival Clay Regazzoni – albeit in eighth and ninth – in the only previous example of the top two being all square heading into the last race of the year.
"[There was] incredible pressure on myself, on the team, on my family, on my friends, on the sponsors," Fittipaldi told Stats Perform.
"When you think [about] going to the last race on equal points, I don't even call it a race, I call it like a duel.
"And knowing that only one is going to be world champion, there's no other chance. After two hours, someone is going to be world champion – one or the other.
"There was tremendous pressure, with all my race experience. I raced in Indianapolis, everywhere, the Brazilian Grand Prix, Monza – where I decided my first world championship.
"I had never experienced so much pressure in my career. I only slept like three hours the night before."
Now as an outsider, though, Fittipaldi is relishing seeing F1's two modern superstars go toe-to-toe in the most highly anticipated grand prix in years.
"I know that's going to happen on Sunday with Max and Lewis," the Brazilian said. "They will have so much pressure. The teams are under tremendous pressure and remember the families, the sponsors, the public.
"It will be a fantastic grand prix to watch. And this is why I say it's one of the best situations ever for a Formula One grand finale – it will be a grand finale, for sure."
Nikola Vucevic would like to be able to do more to help the Chicago Bulls amid their coronavirus outbreak but has no explanation for his shooting woes.
The Bulls lost two more players to health and safety protocols ahead of Saturday's defeat to the Miami Heat, meaning they now have seven players out due to COVID-19.
Among them is DeMar DeRozan, whose team-high 26.4 points per game this season have helped transform Chicago into contenders in the East.
Two-time All-Star Vucevic missed seven games earlier in the year after returning a positive test, although his below-par displays so far in 2021-22 mean the former Orlando Magic center was not quite such a big miss.
Through the first three weeks of the season before his lay-off, Vucevic shot 39.5 per cent from the field and averaged 13.6 points.
There has been slight improvement since the 31-year-old's return, shooting 41.3 per cent and scoring 17.0 points, boosted by a 30-point game against the Charlotte Hornets, but his marks for the season (40.4 per cent shooting, 15.2 points per game) remain well down on 2020-21 (47.7 per cent, 23.4).
Among players to play in 70 per cent of team games, only Jonas Valanciunas (59.2 to 51.7) has suffered a larger decline in field-goal shooting percentage from this season to last, while Bradley Beal (31.3 to 22.5) is the sole NBA star to see a greater drop-off in points output.
The 118-92 loss to the Heat saw Vucevic's worst shooting game of the season, making just three of 15 attempts from the field (20.0 per cent) for 10 points.
"I don't really have an explanation for what's going on with my shot," the 49.3-per-cent career shooter said afterwards.
"It's something I was always very consistent with, really good throughout my whole career, around a 50-per-cent shooter, so I don't know."
The Bulls' overall improvement – now 17-10 after last year's 31-41 record, representing the league's third-largest increase in winning percentage – had largely hidden Vucevic's poor form until now.
"It's tough when you want to go out there, play well and help the team win," he said. "You want to do your job. It's obviously frustrating.
"I have a lot of pride in myself and put in the work and everything, but it's just not working for me right now.
"I've never been through a slump like this, and I just have to work myself out of it. There's no other way.
"Obviously I'm not playing well right now, I'm not doing what I'm supposed to do, not doing my job, and I've just got to figure it out – it's plain and simple."
He added: "There are games where maybe I didn't play as well, but we were winning and it's not that big of a deal.
"When you lose and you don't play well, you feel like it's even more of your responsibility, your fault."
Coach Billy Donovan has sympathy for his players amid the uncertainty around the team, although he wants more from Vucevic.
"Everybody's probably a little bit out of sorts right now, just because we keep losing players and we're throwing different guys in and need more from different guys," he said.
The coach at least knows Vucevic's performances are not for a lack of effort.
"With some of the scoring that's missing from our team, we're going to need him and Lonzo to pick up the slack in different ways," Donovan added.
"I thought he had some pretty decent looks. But I trust him and believe in him – maybe I wouldn't feel that way if I didn't see him working."
Stephen Curry says the lure of breaking Ray Allen's all-time three-pointers record did not play a part in his poor shooting night in the Golden State Warriors 102-93 loss the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday.
Curry shot six of 20 from the field, finishing with 18 points and making only three of 14 attempts from beyond the arc.
The two-time MVP's three triples moved him within seven three-pointers of breaking Allen's all-time NBA record of 2,973 three-point attempts made.
"If you take away the context of these last couple of games, I've played the exact same way," Curry said at the post-game news conference. "You’ve got to make shots and understand the opposition is not going to want that [breaking the record] to happen on their home floor.
"They defend accordingly. For the most part [I am] trying to keep it out of my head and just play basketball and take the shots I normally take and play the game I normally do.
"There was obviously a lot of attention on it which is well deserved as it's an all-time NBA record and one that been around for 10-11 years.
"I appreciate the attention on it. It'll happen when it happens. I'll continue to keep winning NBA games in the process."
Curry has made 24 three-pointers in his past five games as he closes in on the NBA record with attention swirling about the milestone held by Allen since 2011 when he surpassed Reggie Miller's mark of 2,560.
The point guard attributed his 30 percent field goal percentage to pressure from the 76ers and Matisse Thybulle, who marked him closely, rather than the impending record.
"They pressured all night long. Thybulle is a pretty hard defender," Curry said. "They were trying to force us into the paint and make the extra pass and we did that early.
"We didn't shoot as effectively as we wanted. We made that third quarter run but then got cold. They slowly walked us down."
Curry's next chance at breaking Allen's record occurs on Monday when the Warriors face the Indiana Pacers.
Haas driver Nikita Mazepin has been ruled out of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix after testing positive for coronavirus.
The Russian, who qualified at the back of the grid on Saturday, will sit out the season-ending race after returning a positive result at the Yas Marina Circuit.
Mazepin had driven in all of the sessions ahead of Sunday's concluding race, meaning reserve driver Pietro Fittipaldi is unable to step in.
Mick Schumacher will therefore be Haas' sole representative in the 19-driver race, with the German starting from 19th.
Formula One confirmed all of Mazepin's close contacts have been declared and there will be no wider impact on Sunday's highly anticipated race.
A Haas statement read: "Nikita is physically well, having been asymptomatic, but he will now self-isolate and adhere to the guidelines of the relevant public health authorities, with safety the ultimate priority for all parties concerned.
"Uralkali Haas F1 Team wish Nikita well, and we look forward to his return to the race track in early 2022 for pre-season testing."
Mazepin, who is one of only two regular drivers – alongside team-mate Schumacher – without a point to his name this season, added in a social media post: "Hi, everyone! Sorry to report I've had a positive Covid test.
"Feeling totally fine but won't be able to race today. Wishing all my fellow drivers a fantastic end to the season and sending thanks and love to everyone for their support."
Charles Oliveira retained his UFC lightweight title as he staved off the challenge of former interim champion Dustin Poirier via submission at UFC 269 in Nevada on Saturday.
Poirier had come into the fight looking to claim Oliveira's title as champion following back-to-back wins over Conor McGregor but was beaten in the third round by rear-naked choke.
The American had started well, unsettling Oliveira and dropping him to the ground with a first-round left hook. Oliveira repelled the barrage and responded with a left hook of his own late in the first.
Oliveira, known as one of the greatest submission artists in UFC history, floored Poirier in the second round, landing hard elbows.
In the third, Oliveira put Poirier into a clinch against the cage, taking his opponent's back and finding the choke that would lead to the submission.
“I’m the world champion. I’m the man. They talk, I do it," Oliveira (32-8, 1 NC) said after the fight after his 10th win in a row. "I'm gonna walk forward. They can hit me a lot." Oliveira has the most finishes (18) and the most submission wins (15) in UFC history.
Pena pulls off massive shock over Nunes
Julianna Pena produced a major upset as she submitted double champion Amanda Nunes in the second round of their bantamweight title fight.
Pena (11-4) stunned Nunes, who had not lost since 2014, despite the Brazilian appearing well in control early, before the American started landing strikes (79-46 according to UFC stats).
The submission came at 3:26 in the second round as Pena grounded Nunes before locked in a rear-naked choke.
"Don't ever doubt me again," Pena said after the fight. "She tapped and I asked the commission, 'Is it over?' He said, 'Yes, you won.' It didn't [seem real]. It feels crazy. But I expected to win. The world is my oyster. You have the ability to do anything you want in this life."
Stephen Curry says the lure of breaking Ray Allen's all-time three-pointers record did not play a part in his poor shooting night in the Golden State Warriors 102-93 loss the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday.
Curry shot six of 20 from the field, finishing with 18 points and making only three of 14 attempts from beyond the arc.
The two-time MVP's three triples moved him within seven three-pointers of breaking Allen's all-time NBA record of 2,973 three-point attempts made.
"If you take away the context of these last couple of games, I've played the exact same way," Curry said at the post-game news conference. "You’ve got to make shots and understand the opposition is not going to want that [breaking the record] to happen on their home floor.
"They defend accordingly. For the most part [I am] trying to keep it out of my head and just play basketball and take the shots I normally take and play the game I normally do.
"There was obviously a lot of attention on it which is well deserved as it's an all-time NBA record and one that been around for 10-11 years.
"I appreciate the attention on it. It'll happen when it happens. I'll continue to keep winning NBA games in the process."
Curry has made 24 three-pointers in his past five games as he closes in on the NBA record with attention swirling about the milestone held by Allen since 2011 when he surpassed Reggie Miller's mark of 2,560.
The point guard attributed his 30 percent field goal percentage to pressure from the 76ers and Matisse Thybulle, who marked him closely, rather than the impending record.
"They pressured all night long. Thybulle is a pretty hard defender," Curry said. "They were trying to force us into the paint and make the extra pass and we did that early.
"We didn’t shoot as effectively as we wanted. We made that third quarter run but then got cold. They slowly walked us down."
Curry's next chance at breaking Allen's record occurs on Monday when the Warriors face the Indiana Pacers.
Stephen Curry had a wayward shooting game but moved closer to Ray Allen's all-time record as the Golden State Warriors were humbled 102-93 by the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday.
Joel Embiid scored a game-high 26 points along with nine rebounds and four assists for the 76ers, who ended the game with a 41-20 run to improve their record to 15-12.
Curry, who started the game 10 triples away from Allen's all-time NBA record for most three-point attempts made, finished with 18 points including three triples.
As a result, two-time MVP Curry is seven three-pointers away from breaking Allen's mark of 2,973 career triples.
Curry drained two three-pointers late in the second quarter but did not add to his tally until the fourth quarter, shooting a disappointing three-of-14 from beyond the arc. The guard finished the game shooting 30 percent from the field.
Jokic stars but triple-double run ends
Reigning MVP Nikola Jokic's run of three straight triple-doubles ended but he still managed a double-double with 35 points and 17 rebounds in the Denver Nuggets' 127-112 win over the San Antonio Spurs.
Reggie Jackson hit a late two-pointer with 2.2 seconds left to lead the Los Angeles Clippers past the Orlando Magic 106-104, finishing the game with 25 points in Paul George's absence.
The Utah Jazz extended their winning streak to seven games as Donovan Mitchell had 28 points with Ruby Gobert grabbing another double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds in their 123-98 win over the Washington Wizards.
Turnovers cost Bulls vs Heat
Point guard Lonzo Ball committed five turnovers and only managed 15 points as the Chicago Bulls lost 118-92 to the Miami Heat. Zach LaVine was also guilty of four turnovers, although he finished with 33 points including seven three-pointers.
James Harden will miss a game for the first time this season after the Brooklyn Nets confirmed he will be rested against the Detroit Pistons on Sunday.
The 2018 MVP has started all of the Nets' 26 games this season, leading Brooklyn in minutes played with 941, ahead of Kevin Durant (871).
Harden is also coming off another 40-plus-minute game in Friday's 113-105 win over the Atlanta Hawks. The point guard currently ranks sixth in minutes per game (36.2) this season.
“Fourty [minutes]. Three times in a row. 40,” Harden told reporters with a wry grin after Friday's game having clocked up 162 minutes in their past four games.
"I want to win man. I don’t care about nothing else but winning. I don’t care about nothing else. That’s all."
The Nets are top of the Eastern Conference with an 18-8 record while the Pistons are last with a 4-21 record after 11 straight defeats.
Harden, who started the season slow, is averaging 20.8 points, 9.6 assists and 7.9 rebounds.
The New Orleans Pelicans have been forced to reduce Zion Williamson's training programme after scans identified the source of his foot soreness.
Former first overall pick Williamson is yet to feature in 2021-22 after undergoing surgery on a right foot fracture in the offseason.
The ex-Duke sensation had been cleared to participate in full team activities late last month, only to soon take a step back due to soreness.
That setback delayed Williamson's return, and Pelicans fans now face an even longer wait to see their star player in action following another injury update.
"After experiencing persistent soreness in his right foot, Zion Williamson underwent medical imaging which showed a regression in the bone healing of his fifth metatarsal," a team statement read on Saturday.
"As a result, the volume and intensity of his training will be reduced for an extended period to help allow for further bone healing. Additional updates will be provided as warranted."
Williamson has been restricted to just 85 games through his first three seasons in the NBA. Among players in the 2019 draft class, he ranks joint-29th in that regard and 17th for minutes (2,694).
However, only Ja Morant (2,855) and RJ Barrett (2,445) have scored more points in the regular season than Williamson (2,187), whose average (25.7 points per game) is by far the best in his class (Morant 19.2, Barrett 16.0).
Although the Pelicans have a miserable 69-103 record since the start of 2019-20, they have been a competitive 40-45 with Williamson in the team.
Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton indicated they have both enjoyed their heated rivalry for this season's Formula One world championship on the eve of their crucial encounter in Abu Dhabi.
Both go into Sunday's final race of the season level on 369.5 points, just the second time the top two in F1 have headed into the finale all square.
Red Bull's Verstappen beat Mercedes and Hamilton to pole position on Saturday by 0.371 seconds with a flying lap that gives him a clear view of his first world championship.
Should he win his eighth title on Sunday, Hamilton will surpass Michael Schumacher in becoming the driver to have won the most world championships in F1 history.
Speaking at a media conference ahead of Sunday's race, Verstappen and Hamilton were both asked to list some positives about the other, despite the rivalry appearing to turn nasty in recent times.
"I think Lewis has already won so many championships, but also this year I think we have been pushing each other, certainly in some races, to the limit," Verstappen said.
"We have been really basically trying to get everything out of our cars, tyres, to the last lap, to the last corner and that's very exciting, especially when it's been between two teams as well because when it's team-mates, it's always a bit different.
"But when two teams are fighting, you have different strategies you don't know about, preparation, so it has been really enjoyable for most of the time.
"That's normal in a championship and yeah, of course, in 10, 20 years' time, people will look back at it, even myself, and you will remember this year for sure."
Hamilton agreed, adding: "Well said. I agree fully. It’s been an incredible year, an amazing battle and I'm grateful that I've had such a close battle with Max and his team.
"I think they've done an exceptional job and shown true strength and so it's pushed us to the limit in ways that we needed and we, I think, have grown stronger as a team in ways we didn't know that we could grow and yeah, it's been amazing. I hope that we have many more seasons like this."
The Dutchman does enjoy a slender advantage in the title race due to his superior win tally, and is also boosted by the fact that the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix's winner has started from pole in each of the last six races, though he was keen to play down the significance of statistics.
"First of all," Verstappen said. "I never look at these stats because these things can already change at the start or whatever, first lap, so I just need to focus on what we can control as a team and yeah, the coming hours.
"I think what's most important is to have a good sleep, but also I have friends and family around, so I'm not going to do anything different to what I normally have been doing."
Verstappen will start on a soft tyre that should initially work in his favour, potentially leaving Hamilton – on mediums – battling the chasing pack. Hamilton is not too worried, though, saying: "I feel good. I'm happy that I'm on the front row. I can see my opponent.
"Obviously it's going to be a little bit harder at the start off the medium tyre as opposed to the soft tyre but nonetheless, I'm giving it everything."
Spanish tennis great Manolo Santana, a four-time grand slam winner, has died at the age of 83.
Santana won the US Open, Wimbledon and the French Open twice during the 1960s, during which time he spent a period as world number one.
He also won the men's singles tennis tournament at the 1968 Olympics, though it was not recognised as a medal event at the time, while also winning the French Open men's doubles in 1963 and the Davis Cup with Spain on three occasions.
Santana retired in 1977 and in more recent times was regularly seen watching countryman Nadal – the only Spaniard to have won more grand slam titles – from the stands.
Nadal led the tributes to Santana on Saturday with an emotional post on social media.
"I have just received the terrible news of the death of our great Manolo Santana," he wrote on his official Instagram account.
"As I have said many times in the past: thank you very much for what you did for our country and for leading the way for so many.
"You have always been a reference, a friend and a person close to everyone.
"We will miss you Manolo; you will always be unique and special. Greetings to your family and a lot of strength at this time. We will never forget you."
Toto Wolff saw cause for concern in Abu Dhabi Grand Prix qualifying on Saturday but is backing Lewis Hamilton to muster an "angry" response in the decisive season-ending race.
Max Verstappen beat title rival Hamilton to pole position by 0.371 seconds with a flying lap that gives him a clear view of his first Formula One world championship.
Verstappen and Hamilton enter Sunday's race tied on 369.5 points, just the second ever example of the top two in F1 heading into the finale all square.
Red Bull's Verstappen already has a slender advantage due to his superior win tally – a potential tie-breaker – and will now lead Hamilton off the start line, prompting Mercedes team principal Wolff to acknowledge to Sky Sports: "It's 1-0 for them."
Verstappen will also start on a soft tyre that should initially work in his favour, potentially leaving Hamilton – on mediums – battling the chasing pack.
"I am also worried for tomorrow because their long runs were much better on Friday," Wolff said. "Our tyres were just not in the window they were.
"You can see Q1, Q2 was ours. It looked like a pretty easy run, and then you lose all the performance.
"The pace was there. Obviously on the long runs you do not know. The car that's faster tomorrow will win the race, irrespective of who starts on which tyre."
Wolff added: "This is a long race, and it's Lewis Hamilton in the car."
Indeed, Hamilton is not lacking motivation as he pursues a record-breaking eighth championship.
"He's hunting," his boss said. "I think there is nothing you need to say. I think he's going to be angry and that's good, motivated for tomorrow to hunt him down.
"We are on the back foot. Sometimes you need to see the positive, sometimes that's not bad as a starting point."
Sergio Perez gave Red Bull team-mate Verstappen a tow to boost his pole bid, although chief Christian Horner pointed out his main man had enough pace regardless.
"I think that's one of Max's best laps of the year," Horner said. "Even on the following lap that we got him to back off on, he matched the time. The tow was probably worth a tenth or two, not half a second.
"His last sector, when you look at the level of downforce he's got on, is insane, absolutely insane."
Horner, who was "surprised" Hamilton stayed on the mediums, added: "I think that Max is giving it everything. He's driving his heart out. He's thrown everything at this session."
Max Verstappen's flying performance secured pole position for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix as Lewis Hamilton declared Mercedes had no answer to his pace.
Hamilton and Verstappen head into Sunday's race vying for the title. Both drivers are level on 369.5 points, though Verstappen holds an advantage courtesy of his nine race wins in 2021, to Hamilton's eight.
Red Bull driver Verstappen may have taken a big step towards claiming his maiden title, and ending Hamilton's dominance, however, after he recorded a best time of one minute and 22.109 seconds in his first run of Q3 in Saturday's qualifying session.
Hamilton will start in second, having clocked in at 0.371 seconds slower than his title rival, with Lando Norris in third place. Sergio Perez, who went out ahead of Verstappen in Q3, towed his Red Bull team-mate down the long straight, taking a hit on his own time in the process.
The Mexican nevertheless will start in fourth, two places ahead of Valtteri Bottas in his final race for Mercedes, who are 28 points ahead of Red Bull in the constructors' championship, which is also up for grabs.
For his part, Hamilton was just happy to have kept Verstappen within touching distance, with the reigning world champion complimentary of his rival, who said on Thursday that the Briton had gone down in his estimations.
"Firstly, Max did a great lap today. We just couldn't compete with that time at the end," Hamilton said.
"It was looking really strong through practice. We just couldn't answer to that lap. We're in a good position I'd like to think with our tyres tomorrow.
"The last lap was nice and clean, I just couldn't go any quicker. I couldn't beat that time he did today, he deserved pole. I'm still on the front row. I'm grateful I can see where he is!"
Verstappen looked set for pole in Saudi Arabia last week, having gone fastest in the first two sectors, but he hit the barriers on the last corner and had to stop, handing Hamilton the first place on the grid.
After claiming his eighth pole of the season, Verstappen said: "It's of course an amazing feeling. We definitely improved the car again in qualifying. Incredibly happy with this.
"It's never easy with [Mercedes'] form the last few races. I am just looking forward to tomorrow because that's where the points are.
"I felt good on both tyres. Naturally now in the evening it's a bit cooler, so it should be easier on the soft tyres. We'll see where we end up."
LeBron James came good on his resolve that the Los Angeles Lakers would not make the same mistakes again, as this time they finished off the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Lakers tossed away a 72-48 half-time lead when these teams tussled in October, and held a 50-36 cushion when they met again in early November, only to lose again.
On both prior occasions, James was absent. This time he was very much present, posting 13-of-20 shooting for 33 points in a 116-95 victory on Friday night.
With Anthony Davis (knee soreness) absent, James dazzled as he played a fourth consecutive game for the first time in what has been a stop-start season for the 36-year-old superstar.
In 15 games this season, James has scored 30 or more points in seven of them. More to the point, he has reached 30 in five of his last seven games.
Ankle and abdominal injuries have been a frustration for James this season, but he said after this latest showing: "I'm just getting healthier every day.
"My injury played a big part in me getting out of game shape, but also the dynamics of how I move and how I play left me kind of hampered at times. I've been able to see plays before they happen but not able to make them.
"But as I continue to get stronger and stronger and my injury continues to get closer and closer to 100 per cent, I'm able to go out there and do a lot of the things that I've been doing over my career that benefits our team. I'm happy the way I'm feeling as of late."
As a spectator, he had been as frustrated as anyone that the Lakers were unable to close out their previous games against Oklahoma this season.
"I was excited to play in this game just because of that reason," James said.
"I understood the leads that we built and me watching from the sidelines, seeing those leads evaporate and them celebrating on our floor last time they played us, and I couldn't do nothing but sit there and watch.
"They earned those wins, but I was looking forward to making an impact in this game and just trying to control the game how I know I can control the game on both sides of the floor, and I was lucky enough that my team-mates put some work in tonight and I just tried to lead them in the right direction."
The Lakers' win followed on from Thursday's 108-95 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, when James had a triple-double of 20 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists but wound up on the beaten team, his shooting not at its sharpest.
This time the Lakers logged a season-high 19 three-pointers, four of those from James with Avery Bradley netting six from behind the arc
Coach Frank Vogel saluted James' response, saying: "He was unbelievable tonight.
"I shouldn't say it surprises me, but it’s just incredible for him to play at such a high level. To perform the way he did tonight, not only just with his shot-making but his play-making and his will to take a tough loss last night and say, 'That’s not going to happen again'.
"The two losses we had against OKC where we built big leads and let them get back in it, he wasn't going to let that happen again tonight."
Giannis Antetokounmpo remains driven to keep improving for the Milwaukee Bucks after chalking up a new franchise record in the 123-114 win over the Houston Rockets.
Antetokounmpo had 41 points, 17 rebounds, five assists, three steals and two blocks as he became Milwaukee's all-time leader in the latter category, surpassing Alton Lister (804).
The defending NBA champions halted Houston's seven-game winning streak behind a monster performance from their star man.
Khris Middleton and Bobby Portis weighed in with 21 points apiece for the Bucks, who improved to 17-10 this season.
Asked afterwards about his new landmark achievement, Antetokounmpo said in a news conference: "It's big-time. Great compliment to my career. But I've gotta keep getting better, gotta keep defending better.
"I feel like sometimes I'm a step behind. I've gotta be there early for my team-mates, gotta make sure they know that I'm behind them and I'm ready to help them in any scenario.
"But it's great. It's great to have something like that in my career, but I gotta keep on moving forward, keep on getting better, keep on helping my team-mates win games."
His showing against Houston represented a major gear shift following a lacklustre display in the midweek defeat to the Miami Heat, in which Antetokounmpo managed just 15 points and six rebounds. Only once this season has he ended a game with fewer points.
He is averaging 27.6 points and 11.8 rebounds this season, with his shooting accuracy from the field dipping slightly from 56.9 per cent last term to 53.4 per cent, his lowest since the 2017-18 campaign.
Antetokounmpo seems to have a firm grip on how he can take steps forward and enacted his plan against Houston.
"I just tried to be aggressive, tried to get downhill," he said. "In the last game I wasn't as aggressive as I wanted. I wanted to be aggressive, the team wanted me to be aggressive and it kind of worked out in our favour tonight."
The 27-year-old Greek star was the Finals MVP last season and will have aspirations to take the Bucks deep into the play-offs again this time.
He spoke after this latest tussle of his admiration for the Rockets, who rebounded from a 15-game losing streak to put seven consecutive wins together before this setback.
"They're playing great. We knew coming in today they're going to play extremely hard against us and try to prove themselves," said Antetokounmpo.
"They don't have a big star, a superstar that takes all the possessions. They have to play together, they have to shoot the ball real well, they have to put themselves in position to be successful. They defend really well and if they keep playing like this they're going to keep getting better each year."
The Bucks have had five 40/15/5 games since the three-point era (1980) – Antetokounmpo has all five.
Giannis Antetokounmpo flexed his muscles with 41 points and 17 rebounds as defending champions the Milwaukee Bucks took down the Houston Rockets 123-114 in the NBA.
The Bucks snapped Houston's seven-game winning streak behind a monster performance from Finals MVP Antetokounmpo on Friday.
Antetokounmpo also had five assists, three steals and two blocks as he became Milwaukee's all-time blocks leader, surpassing Alton Lister (804).
The Bucks have had five 40/15/5 games since the three-point era (1980) – Antetokounmpo has all five.
Khris Middleton and Bobby Portis had 21 points apiece for the Bucks, who improved to 17-10 this season.
Christian Wood (21 points and 13 rebounds) had a double-double, but it was not enough for the Rockets (8-17), while Garrison Matthews (23 points) and Armoni Brooks (21 points) also impressed.
Houston had been 6-0 with Matthews in the starting line-up but his bid to join Chris Paul (first 15) and Jason Terry (first nine) as the only players in the last 30 years to have the Rockets win their first seven starts with the team fell short.
Durant grounds Hawks, LeBron leads Lakers
Kevin Durant led the way again for the Brooklyn Nets, who outlasted the Atlanta Hawks 113-105. Durant scored 31 points. James Harden added 20 points and 11 assists for the Eastern Conference-leading Nets. Trae Young had 31 points and 10 assists for the Hawks. He joined Russell Westbrook and Michael Jordan as the only players with at least 25 points and 10 assists in five consecutive games since the NBA merger in 1977.
With Anthony Davis (knee soreness) absent, LeBron James inspired the Los Angeles Lakers to a 116-95 victory over the lowly Oklahoma City Thunder. James was 13-of-20 shooting for 33 points. In 15 games this season, James has scored 30 or more points in seven of them.
Burks has game to forget
The New York Knicks opted for Alec Burks over star recruit Kemba Walker in their rotation, but he endured a horror outing in the 90-87 defeat at the Toronto Raptors. Burks missed all seven of his shots from the floor, finishing with just a point in 37 minutes.
The Boston Celtics went down 111-90 to the high-flying Phoenix Suns as Marcus Smart went one-of-13 from the floor – missing all five of his three-point attempts – in a four-point performance.
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