Nico Rosberg of Mercedes will start the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix from pole position on Sunday, ahead of team-mate Lewis Hamilton, but Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel suffered a disaster in Saturday's qualifying.
Rosberg clocked 1 minute 40.237 seconds on the 5.554-kilometre Yas Marina Circuit, with Hamilton 0.377 adrift, to claim his seventh pole of the season and the sixth in succession to conclude the season.
Hamilton secured the 2014 world title in Abu Dhabi but clinched this year's crown, the third of his career, with three races to spare. However, Rosberg has won the last two races and is now favourite for a third in a row with Hamilton seemingly out of form.
Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen will start third on the grid having finished 0.815 behind Rosberg, rescuing the day for the Italian team after Vettel crashed out 16th in first qualifying.
"There were no issues with the car," Vettel said in a television interview. "We thought we had enough to get to Q2 but we were wrong"
Force India's Sergio Perez produced an excellent performance to claim fourth ahead of Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo and Valtteri Bottas of Williams. Nico Huelkenberg was seventh in the other Force India while Felipe Massa (Williams), Daniil Kvyat (Red Bull) and Carlos Sainz (Toro Rosso) completed the top 10.
The second qualifying session ended the hopes of Max Verstappen (Toro Rosso), Jenson Button (McLaren), Pastor Maldonado (Lotus), Felipe Nasr (Sauber) and Romain Grosjean (Lotus), who failed to set a time due to a gearbox problem.
A puncture for Fernando Alonso in the other McLaren eliminated the Spaniard in 17th while Marcus Ericsson (Sauber), and Manor pair Will Stevens and Roberto Merhi were also knocked out in Q1.
The Grand Prix takes place Sunday in a day-to-night race.
