F1 Abu Dhabi GP: Leclerc leads Norris in opening practice

Charles Leclerc was quickest in Components 1’s closing FP1 session of 2024 on the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, two tenths away from McLaren’s Lando Norris.

Ferrari driver Leclerc was stranded within the storage for the opening 25 minutes of the session with a battery challenge, however instantly picked up the tempo when he acquired out on observe.

After getting a couple of laps on the board, he took goal at Norris’ then-benchmark of a 1m24.542s, and set a 1m24.321s on the tender tyres to vault to the highest of the leaderboard.

The opening session of the Yas Marina spherical featured a number of reserve and younger drivers because the groups fulfilled the necessities for working inexperienced drivers earlier than the season was out – together with Leclerc’s brother Arthur, who took over Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari seat for the FP1 session.

Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton was third quickest, having been on high of the order on the conclusion of the medium-tyre runs through the opening half-hour of the session, forward of team-mate George Russell.

Alpine’s Pierre Gasly continued his spectacular kind and claimed the fifth-fastest time, 0.04s away from Nico Hulkenberg’s Haas. The 2 Haas drivers, who depart the staff on the finish of the season, had been break up by Franco Colapinto in seventh as Kevin Magnussen ended up eighth.

Felipe Drugovich was the highest-placed rookie within the session, setting a time on softs simply moments behind Fernando Alonso to go 0.033s sooner than his illustrious Aston Martin stablemate. Sergio Perez was between them in tenth within the lead Purple Bull.

Liam Lawson (RB) and Valtteri Bottas (Sauber) had been forward of McLaren’s Ryo Hirakawa, who spent many of the session conducting aero work earlier than getting an opportunity on tender tyres later into the run-time. The Toyota World Endurance Championship driver will even drive for Haas within the post-weekend Yas Marina check. 

F2 title contender Isack Hadjar, driving Max Verstappen’s Purple Bull, was fifteenth quickest. The Frenchman was a constant presence on the radio having develop into annoyed by F3 champion Luke Browning being forward of him on two events.

Hadjar was simply half a tenth up on Zhou Guanyu, who struggled all through the session with understeer within the slower corners.

Ayumu Iwasa (RB) and Arthur Leclerc (Ferrari) had been two tenths down on Zhou, whereas Alpine’s new driver Jack Doohan and Williams’ Browning accomplished the order.

Abu Dhabi GP – FP1 outcomes:

Pictures from Abu Dhabi GP Observe