The defending three-time champion dominated the session and clocked a fastest time in one minute and 38.755 seconds to beat the championship-leading German by three-tenths of a second.

Hamilton’s performance gives him the ideal opportunity to claim a fourth consecutive victory in Sunday’s race in which Rosberg can secure his maiden drivers title if he finishes on the podium.

It is Briton Hamilton’s 12th pole of the season, a personal record, his third in Abu Dhabi and the 61st of his career. In the process, he ended Rosberg’s hopes of a third consecutive pole at the circuit.

Australian Daniel Ricciardo produced a scorching late lap to take third for Red Bull ahead of Kimi Raikkonen and his Ferrari team-mate Sebastian Vettel and Dtuch teenager Max Verstappen in the second Red Bull.