Hamilton celebrated his seventh world championship by putting his Mercedes on pole position for Sunday’s Bahrain Grand Prix.
Hamilton dazzled under the 495 bulbs that light up the Sakhir Circuit to post a new track record and beat team-mate Bottas by 0.289 seconds.
Red Bull’s Verstappen will slot in behind the Mercedes cars, finishing in third, four tenths off Hamilton’s blistering pace.
Valtteri Bottas finished third in the other Mercedes, nearly four tenths adrift, while Alexander Albon, back in action following his heavy practice crash on Friday, was fourth.