Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Free Practice Recap and Key Moments

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Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Free Practice Overview

On the first day of the race weekend, only a handful of cars remained on track as the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix neared its finale for the 2023 Formula 1 season. During the opening free practice session, ten drivers stepped aside to allow younger talents to gain seat time in line with FIA rules that promote adaptation for rookie competitors. The session saw limited on track action in the afternoon as two consecutive crashes by Carlos Sainz and Nico Hülkenberg triggered red flags. Charles Leclerc ended the day fastest with a lap of 1 minute 24.809 seconds. Source: FIA

Earlier in the weekend, a challenge emerged after a sewage issue affected Las Vegas the previous Sunday. Carlos Sainz, starting his Abu Dhabi run, faced a spin in Turn 3 at Yas Marina when the car’s tires were not fully up to temperature and a nearby car disturbed the surface. The Ferrari skidded and struck the barriers at high speed. The driver reported that he was unharmed, and the team conducted checks on the car in the pits before resuming activity. The session pause briefly while the track was cleared and repairs were made to the technical equipment. Source: FIA

Carlos later exited the car under his own power and informed the team that he was fine. He was moved to a medical center as a precaution but was released shortly after to return to the Ferrari garage to assess the extensive damage to the vehicle. The interruption in FP2 was followed by another crash that brought out the red flag, this time involving Nico Hülkenberg of Haas. Source: FIA

In the closing minutes, Charles Leclerc topped the times with a 1.24.809 lap. Lando Norris was close behind, posting a gap of 0.043 seconds in the McLaren. Max Verstappen finished third, 0.173 seconds back. The field featured a close contest among the front runners with Bottas and Sergio Pérez among the early top five. George Russell, who had set the fastest time in a session dominated by rookie participation, placed sixth. Fernando Alonso moved into eleventh for Aston Martin, marking the car’s first touch with Yas Marina asphalt in this event after a reserve period. Felipe Drugovich impressed by finishing second in FP1. Source: FIA

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Free Practice 2 results showed Charles Leclerc on top at 1.24.809 for Ferrari, followed by Lando Norris in a close 0.043 seconds, Max Verstappen in 0.173, Valtteri Bottas in 0.215, Sergio Pérez in 0.303, George Russell in 0.313, Gyanyu Zhou in 0.414, Lewis Hamilton in 0.506, Pierre Gasly in 0.512, and Oscar Piastri in 0.552. Fernando Alonso placed 11th for Aston Martin with 0.588 behind the pace, while Daniel Ricciardo, Lance Stroll, Esteban Ocon, Yuki Tsunoda, Alexander Albon, Kevin Magnussen, Logan Sargeant, Carlos Sainz, and Nico Hülkenberg completed the list with times ranging from 0.658 to 2.338 behind Leclerc. The results reflect a session shaped by tactical testing and the evolving form of the teams ahead of the season finale. Source: FIA

Overall, the Abu Dhabi weekend underscored the unpredictable nature of practice sessions, where new talent gains visibility and traditional powerhouses navigate the balance between set-up experimentation and race readiness. Source: FIA

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