Lando Norris tops FP1 Abu Dhabi in a tense opener, beating Max Verstappen by 0.008 seconds as teams begin the title weekend.
Session Snapshot
FP1 at Yas Marina delivered close times and busy strategy shifts. Teams ran mixed tyre compounds and rookie duty programmes throughout the hour.
Early Pace and Tyre Choices
Verstappen set an early benchmark on hard tyres before rivals switched compounds. Medium runs then gave way to soft-tyre performance laps later in the session.
Top Three and Margins
Norris finished fastest with a 1:24.485, only 0.008s ahead of Verstappen. Charles Leclerc completed the podium within two hundredths of the leader.
Notable Performances Further Down
Kimi Antonelli put Mercedes fourth while Nico Hülkenberg and George Russell filled the mid-top positions. Rookie and substitute drivers populated the session.
Rookie Runs and Team Strategies
Nine regulars handed seats to less experienced drivers, complying with FP1 regulations. The practice limited representativeness but revealed car balance differences.
Driver Rotation Impact
Substitute drivers focused on aero and set-up work. Consequently, lap-times reflect mixed programmes rather than identical runs.
Power, Engine Specs and Performance
Teams explored power deployment and hybrid energy strategies to extract lap time in short runs. Engineers balanced combustion and electrical systems for peak torque and driveability.
How That Translated on Track
Short-run performance on the C5 soft compound revealed ultimate pace. Meanwhile, longer runs on harder compounds showed tyre management and race-trim trends.
What to Watch Next
Expect teams to refine qualifying simulations and adapt hybrid deployment maps. Small changes could flip the order in tighter sessions to come.
Championship Context
The close FP1 gap sets the tone for a decisive weekend. Both title contenders showed immediate pace under track conditions.
Final Summary
Norris topped FP1 at Abu Dhabi by a wafer-thin margin, with Verstappen and Leclerc close behind. The session mixed rookie programmes and performance runs, leaving little separation among the leaders heading into the weekend.
| Pos | Driver | Car |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lando Norris | McLaren |
| 2 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull |
| 3 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari |
| 4 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes |
| 5 | Nico Hülkenberg | Sauber |
| 6 | George Russell | Mercedes |
| 7 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Sauber |
| 8 | Oliver Bearman | Haas |
| 9 | Carlos Sainz | Williams |
| 10 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine |
| 11 | Ryō Hirakawa | Haas |
| 12 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls |
| 13 | Paul Aron | Alpine |
| 14 | Patricio O’Ward | McLaren |
| 15 | Arvid Lindblad | Red Bull |
| 16 | Arthur Leclerc | Ferrari |
| 17 | Ayumu Iwasa | Racing Bulls |
| 18 | Luke Browning | Williams |
| 19 | Jak Crawford | Aston Martin |
| 20 | Cian Shields | Aston Martin |
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Source: FIA