Championship chief Lando Norris held off title challenger Max Verstappen to take the highest spot within the opening observe session of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Norris set the benchmark at 1:24.485 on his third flying lap on gentle tires after his first try to document a time in Flip 2 was ruined by a spin. This was sufficient to beat Verstappen’s first try, however with simply 0.008 seconds separating the 2 championship contenders, it wasn’t by a lot.
Charles Leclerc completed simply 0.016 seconds behind within the prime three for Ferrari, whereas Kimi Antonelli ensured that every one 4 groups completed throughout the prime 4 with a lap 0.123 seconds behind.
The classes have been very tight, however FP1 was considered one of solely two classes held throughout the day, so circumstances weren’t like these of night time qualifying or twilight Grand Prix. Nonetheless, expectations have been excessive that the championship match can be a detailed one.
Nevertheless, it was not all plain crusing for the leaders, with Verstappen complaining late on that “one thing could be damaged within the automobile”, however when requested particularly the place the issue was, he answered vaguely that the issue was “in all places”.
Norris additionally began the session with Flovis paint on his rear wing, regardless of it being a beforehand used half. The soft-save snap wasn’t his solely good run. The British rider sailed broad on the first flip, utilizing up loads of gas and falling a remaining lap behind.
Regardless of displaying a aggressive flying lap, Leclerc lamented his lack of race tempo, no less than in heat circumstances.
“It feels just like the automobile has zero grip,” he mentioned over the radio. “I am unable to imagine it, I actually do not perceive it.”
Nico Hulkenberg was a aggressive fifth for Sauber, his lap simply 0.144 seconds slower than Norris, separating him from Antonelli and George Russell within the second Mercedes (0.1 seconds slower).
Gabriel Bortleto completed seventh in his second Sauber, forward of Oliver Bearman. Oliver Bearman’s Haas suffered from continual issues all through his time. The workforce initially suspected a hydraulic downside, however the British rider rapidly obtained again on observe and set the eighth quickest time, simply 0.274 seconds slower than Norris. He was then advised to retire the automobile, and the workforce later defined {that a} sensor challenge could also be behind the issue.
Williams’ Carlos Sainz completed in ninth place forward of Franco Colapinto, finishing the highest 10.
Toyota sports activities automobile star Ryo Hirakawa completed eleventh in Esteban Ocon’s Haas, making him the quickest veteran of the 11 junior drivers in FP1.
Racing Bulls’ Isaac Hajjar adopted, beating Alpine reserve driver Paul Aron in Pierre Gasly’s automobile.
McLaren IndyCar star Pato O’Ward guided title contender Oscar Piastri’s automobile to 14th place.
Arvid Lindblad, who was introduced because the 2026 Racing Bulls driver this week and is presently sixth within the F2 championship, led Hiroki Tsunoda’s Racing Bulls automobile to fifteenth place, forward of Ferrari improvement driver Arthur Leclerc, who was in Lewis Hamilton’s SF25.
2025 Tremendous Formulation Champion Ayumu Iwasa moved Liam Lawson’s automobile to seventeenth place, forward of Williams reserve driver Luke Browning, who’s fourth within the F2 Championship, in Alex Albon’s automobile.
Browning turned the primary driver to beat Norris’ time by greater than a second, in a sequence of spectacular performances by rookies.
Aston Martin twin rookies Jack Crawford (an American who completed second on this 12 months’s F2 championship) and Cian Shields accomplished the order.
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