Nico Rosberg beat Lewis Hamilton in emphatic fashion to claim his sixth consecutive pole position for Sunday's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
The German, who is also bidding for his third victory in a row, finished the session more than a third of a second clear of his Mercedes team-mate under the lights at the Yas Marina Circuit.
Kimi Raikkonen was third for Ferrari but his team-mate Sebastian Vettel fell at the first hurdle and will start only 16th.
For Hamilton the wait for his 50th career pole now extends to seven races having last started from the front slot on the grid at September’s Italian Grand Prix.
Rosberg feared his final race of the season would be compromised after running an older engine than his championship-winning team-mate. But on the basis of this evidence he need not have worried.
With only moments of the session remaining Hamilton appeared to snatch pole from Rosberg after posting the fastest time of the weekend.
But Rosberg, who saw Hamilton claim pole position in 11 of the opening 12 races this season, replied in convincing fashion to see off the challenge from the Briton. As such, Mercedes claimed their 15th front-row lockout of the season.
The Silver Arrows pair are so often joined by Vettel, but the four-time champion was the shock casualty from the opening phase of qualifying after he was knocked out at the first hurdle.
Vettel, who has enjoyed a strong debut season with Ferrari in which he has won three races, posted only the 16th-fastest time.
Vettel appeared to lose power during his final timed run at a track where he won his first championship back in 2010 and he will start towards the back of the pack.
The German will be joined there by the man who he replaced at Ferrari. Fernando Alonso, who it was suggested could take a sabbatical next season by McLaren chairman Ron Dennis, suffered a puncture and qualified only 17th.
There was better news for his team-mate Jenson Button however. The 2009 world champion, who has scored five more points than Alonso this term, will start from 12th.
Romain Grosjean is taking part in his final race for Lotus on Sunday before he joins newly-formed American outfit Haas next term. But the Frenchman endured a troubled final qualifying session after he stopped on track with a mechanical problem and will start only 15th.
Sergio Perez qualified an impressive fourth in his Force India ahead of the Red Bull of Daniel Ricciardo and Valtteri Bottas in his Williams. The Force India of Nico Hulkenberg, Felipe Massa’s Williams, Daniil Kvyat for Red Bull and Toro Rosso’s Carlos Sainz completed the top 10.
Rosberg said: “I am quicker at the moment and I am pleased about that. I am enjoying the moment and I am happy to be on pole again.
“I would like to win the race because it is a great feeling to win and it will also give my crew a great end to the season and a good reason to party tomorrow night.”
Hamilton, who was fastest in Q1 and Q2 before losing out to Rosberg in the decisive top-10 shoot-out, added: “I have generally been struggling with the car all weekend.
“We have been working hard to make some changes. We had to take something off the car, but Nico was just really quick today and he did a great job in Q3.”
