The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is not quite the winner-takes-all scenario that is the stuff of title-decider dreams, as second will be enough for Lewis Hamilton even if Nico Rosberg wins.
During Friday practice, it will not have been the gap of 83 thousandths of a second to his team-mate that Rosberg will be concerned about.
Instead, it is the ongoing dominance of Mercedes, which once again had a comfortable cushion at the front of the field.