Lando Norris headed Oscar Piastri in qualifying in Yas Marina with Carlos Sainz third for Ferrari.
However, Charles Leclerc was 14th but will start last following a 10-place grid penalty.
The result dealt Ferrari’s title hopes a significant blow as it trails McLaren by 21 points heading into the season finale.
Fourth place went to the sensational Nico Hulkenberg for Haas, who was briefly on provisional pole in the dying moments of the session.
Liam Lawson will start 12th while Jack Doohan will line up 19th for his debut grand prix.
Lewis Hamilton, in his final appearance for Mercedes, will start just 17th.
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It was only with 10 minutes remaining in Qualifying 1 that the first meaningful times were set, with Max Verstappen logging a 1:23.516s.
To that point, it had largely been the backmarkers setting times in what was a comparatively slow opening.
Verstappen’s lap triggered a wave of others, with Sainz eclipsing the Red Bull Racing driver by 0.029s.
Neither Norris nor Piastri could match it with their initial efforts, the McLaren pair slotting in fourth and fifth behind Kevin Magnussen, who continued Haas’ impressive practice form.
Deleted laps for Franco Colapinto and Sergio Perez left the pair without a time following the initial runs, and therefore in the bottom five.
Joining them in the danger zone were Doohan, Lawson, and Alex Albon.
With three minutes remaining, race control advised Perez’s lap would be reinstated, his 1:23.559s good enough for third fastest at the time.
As the final flurry of laps began, Doohan and Lawson found themselves on the back row.
There was clearly plenty to come as Valtteri Bottas miraculously rose to provisional pole.
Traffic in the final two corners for Lawson saw him improve only to 11th, his progress especially hampered by George Russell.
Bottas’ time was beaten by Leclerc, who managed a 1:23.302s to take provisional pole at the end of the segment.
Missing out were Albon, Zhou Guanyu, Hamilton, Colapinto, and Doohan.
It was a disappointing end for Hamilton whose case wasn’t helped by encountering Magnussen at Turn 14, picking up a bollard under his car in the process.
Lawson progressed despite Russell’s interference, which officials deemed was worth no further action, the Kiwi 13th and one spot ahead of team-mate Yuki Tsunoda.
Qualifying 2 began with a flying lap from Verstappen, a 1:22.998s that proved six-tenths better than he’d managed in Qualifying 1.
Behind him came Norris then Piastri after the initial laps, with a mixed bag thereafter.
Tsunoda showed well for RB, banking the fourth-best time ahead of Sainz, while Hulkenberg ensured Haas was well-represented in the top 10.
So confident was Verstappen with his time that he’d climbed out of his car as the bulk of the field battled to get back out on track.
Again, the order changed rapidly as the chequered flag waved, Leclerc and Sainz shooting to the top of the timesheets – at least until the former’s lap was deleted, dropping him out of the top 10.
That left Sainz on provisional pole from Verstappen and Hulkenberg, with Bottas also sneaking into Qualifying 3.
Tsunoda and Lawson were both eliminated, together with Lance Stroll, Leclerc, and Magnussen.
The deleted lap was disastrous news for Leclerc, who will also take a 10-place grid penalty, dropping him to the very back of the pack for the start of Sunday’s race.
With Ferrari in the hunt for the constructors’ championship, it was also a significant blow to the Scuderia’s chances in that competition.
Hulkenberg opened Qualifying 3 with a 1:23.492s, some four-tenths slower than he’d managed in Qualifying 2.
Still, it was faster than Perez or Russell could go.
Verstappen did better it, slewing wildly out of the final corner and doing well the keep the Red Bull Racing out of the fence.
Even allowing for that, he went fastest with a 1:22.945s, all but matched by Norris who was 0.004s slower.
Having logged a 1:22.985s, good enough for third, Piastri had his lap deleted for track limits at Turn 1.
Replays showed it was a tight call, with his rear wheel exceeding limits as his front wheel came back onto the racing surface.
A review saw officials agree, reinstating the lap moments after.
The final flurry commenced with Perez, who logged a 1:23.264s to sit fourth behind Verstappen and the two McLarens.
Next through was Bottas, who climbed ahead of the Mexican with a 1:23.204s to take fourth.
That became fifth when Hulkenberg pedalled the Haas to provisional pole position with a 1:22.886s.
It didn’t last as Piastri went faster, by 0.082s to briefly take top spot.
Sainz came close but couldn’t better it, but Norris could in the other McLaren to lock out the front row for the papaya team.
A poor final lap left Verstappen fifth, one spot behind Hulkenberg, then came Gasly, Russell, Alonso, Bottas and Perez.
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