Lando Norris set the pace in the opening practice session for the title-deciding Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, leading championship rival Max Verstappen and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.
The session at the Yas Marina Circuit featured an unusual lineup, with nine rookie drivers taking to the track, leaving only Mercedes and Kick Sauber to run their regular pairing. Consequently, several established drivers sat out, including championship contender Oscar Piastri, who was replaced by McLaren reserve Pato O’Ward. At Racing Bulls, Yuki Tsunoda made way for Arvid Lindblad, who is slated to join the team in 2026.
The track was busy from the start, and Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar soon expressed frustration with traffic caused by Williams rookie Luke Browning, who was simultaneously hampered by radio problems. Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, fresh from a podium finish in Qatar, briefly topped the timesheets before the lap times began to fall.
Several drivers encountered issues during the hour. Haas rookie Ollie Bearman reported a power loss and a suspected leak that forced him to the pits. Though he briefly returned to the track, the problem persisted, and a sensor-related issue ultimately cut his session short.
At the halfway mark, drivers switched to soft tyres, with Max Verstappen setting an initial benchmark. Norris experienced a snap of oversteer at Turn 2 during his first run but later improved to set the session’s fastest time of 1m 24.485s, a mere 0.008s clear of Verstappen. In the closing stages, Verstappen reported a potential issue with his car, though he remained on track, while Charles Leclerc recovered from a spin at Turn 5.
Norris’s time held firm to the end, securing him P1 ahead of Verstappen and Leclerc. Kimi Antonelli finished an impressive fourth for Mercedes, with Kick Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg splitting him from his teammate George Russell in sixth. Hulkenberg’s rookie teammate Gabriel Bortoleto was seventh, followed by the sidelined Bearman, Sainz, and Alpine’s Franco Colapinto rounding out the top 10.
The remaining field was led by McLaren’s Ryo Hirakawa, followed by Hadjar, Paul Aron (Alpine), O’Ward, Lindblad, Arthur Leclerc (Ferrari), Ayumu Iwasa (Racing Bulls), Browning, and the Aston Martin pair of Jak Crawford and Cian Shields.
Teams will now analyze the data gathered ahead of the second practice session, which will take place in more representative evening conditions at 17:00 local time.
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