Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: Lando Norris Dominates Both Practice Sessions Ahead Of Title Decider

The first day of the 2025 Formula 1® Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix saw Lando Norris take an early lead over Max Verstappen in both FP1 and FP2. This set the stage for a tense season finale. Norris, ahead by 12 points, clocked a time of 1.23.083s, narrowly beating Verstappen by 0.363s, highlighting the competitive nature of this final weekend.

Friday's Free Practice sessions offered a glimpse into tyre testing and track conditions. McLaren's internal battle became clearer when Oscar Piastri joined FP2 after missing FP1. However, an error on the soft tyre left him in 11th place. Meanwhile, Mercedes added excitement as George Russell outperformed teammate Kimi Antonelli to secure P3.

Nico Hulkenberg delivered a surprising performance, finishing fifth on the grid, which bodes well for Saturday's events. Arvid Lindblad marked an important milestone by participating in FP1 for Red Bull after being announced as a 2026 Racing Bulls driver. The young talent impressed with his pace and maturity, finishing within seven-tenths of Verstappen.

With both practice sessions concluded, focus shifts to the final practice run and tomorrow's crucial qualifying session. The title race is extremely close, and Yas Marina Circuit's unique twilight conditions will evolve rapidly into night-time racing. Every sector on Saturday will be vital in deciding the 2025 Formula 1® World Drivers’ Champion.

Drivers are scheduled to return to the track tomorrow for one last practice session at 14:30 followed by the qualifying session at 18:00.

With inputs from WAM