F1 Abu Dhabi GP Live Commentary and Updates - FP1 & FP2
Friday's action from the 22nd round of the 2023 Formula 1 season.
The F1 season finale begins with the major honours long decided in favour of Max Verstappen and Red Bull. After Sergio Perez and Lewis Hamilton confirmed second and third in the drivers' championship, attention turns to the fight for fourth between Fernando Alonso, Carlos Sainz, Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc.
In the constructors' table, Mercedes and Ferrari are separated by four points, while there is a fierce battle between Williams, Haas, Alfa Romeo and AlphaTauri for seventh position, with significant financial rewards on offer for triumphing.
FP1 will get under way at 9:30am GMT with FP2 following at 1pm GMT.
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A personal best from Sainz as a gust in the final corner catches him out as well. He goes to P6, just 0.05s clear of rookie Shwartzman who is in for Leclerc.
More impressive is that Shwartzman had to manage a snap of oversteer at T3 on his effort.
More impressive is that Shwartzman had to manage a snap of oversteer at T3 on his effort.
An impressive effort from Drugovich to go to P2 as things stand, bettering Bottas by 0.05s. Sainz is now on a flying lap, with Ferrari's hand set to be shown.
Hadjar improves his time and puts himself one position below Dennis - falling just 0.036s shy of the Formula E champion's time.
There's another eye-catching time as Bottas goes to P2 with a 1m26.453s. He's 0.381s off Russell, which is probably a smaller margin between the teams than was expected.
Stopwatch
With the majority of drivers now running soft tyres, there could be some big changes to the order. Dennis moves up from P18 to P10 with a 1m26.208s.
Stroll narrowly avoided a big crash there, getting caught out by a tailwind through the final corner which caused his car to jackknife across the track.
That was the biggest moment we've seen there so far in FP1.
That was the biggest moment we've seen there so far in FP1.
But as the regular-season drivers turn the wick up, Vesti quickly moves down a few places, with Piastri and Gasly setting new personal bests.
Vesti is currently P3 in Hamilton's Mercedes with a 1m26.815, a time 0.743s off Russell's session best.
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Another wild moment in the final corner, with O'Sullivan laying a pair of thick, black lines after losing the rear of his Williams and spinning up the tyres. A very good save!
It's very difficult to get a read on the session as a whole with so many rookie drivers on the track. For example, the two Red Bull drivers are P17 and 20, with Dennis the quicker of the pair at present.
If the regular pairing are in those positions later on today, the word 'shock' wouldn't begin to cover it.
If the regular pairing are in those positions later on today, the word 'shock' wouldn't begin to cover it.
That moment between Sargeant and Doohan will be investigated after the session.
A frightening moment there for Doohan who moved across to pass Sargeant while on a flying lap, only for the Williams driver to pull over in a bid to move out of the way, leaving both drivers heading for the same piece of asphalt.
We're halfway through FP1 with Russell leading Sargeant - no, that is not a misprint! - and Piastri.
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Pourchaire has reported "crazy bottoming" through turns two and three. He almost lost the car there. However, he continues for another lap at least rather than returning straight to the pits.
But now Stroll pushes up to P2, behind only Russell. His 1m27.253s is over eight-tenths off the Mercedes driver.
We're now in a slight lull on the track with over half the drivers in the pits. But making use of the quiet and with the aero rakes off, Drugovich pushes his Aston Martin up from last to P10 - three places ahead of Stroll.
Hadjar is showing no fear in Perez's Red Bull, getting the tail out on a recent lap as he hopped across the kerbs. Perez may not have enjoyed watching that too much, however.
Stopwatch
Another new fastest lap of the session for Russell who appears to be battling through his issues, with a 1m26.313s.
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Russell reports the "something doesn't feel quite right with the steering" in low-speed corners. There are a few of those around the Yas Marina Circuit, especially in the final sector.
As O'Ward rounds the final corner for a hot lap, he lights up the rears on his McLaren and collects a snap of oversteer onto the main straight. He is currently P16 after recently being announced as the team's reserve driver for 2024.
O'Sullivan is the lead rookie driver so far in P7 for Williams, with Vesti's Mercedes behind for close company.
Dennis is back on the track after seeming to fix his helmet-related issue and he goes to P12 with his effort.
Stopwatch
Russell now goes to the top with a 1m27.673s from Sainz and Ricciardo.
Interestingly, the Ferrari driver was on softs with the others on mediums.
Interestingly, the Ferrari driver was on softs with the others on mediums.
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"I need to box this lap, my helmet is nowhere near tight enough," radios in Formula E champion Jake Dennis.
He is wheeled back into the garage in Verstappen's Red Bull.
He is wheeled back into the garage in Verstappen's Red Bull.
Stopwatch
Stroll sets the first time of the session on medium tyres, with a 1m31.035s.
O'Ward and Piastri return to the pits after an installation for McLaren, as do Bottas and Pourchaire.
Sargeant and Tsunoda are the only two drivers electing to remain in the garage for a short while - but while typing this update, Tsunoda has now joined the track.
Lance Stroll is the first driver to head out onto the track with a large aero-rake fixed to his Aston Martin.
Lights green
For the final time this year, we go green in FP1!
The engines fire up and we are now moments from seeing cars on track.
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Five minutes to go before FP1 is under way at the Yas Marina Circuit!
The full story around McLaren's decision to remain with McLaren through to 2030.
https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/mclaren-extends-mercedes-f1-engine-deal-until-2030/10550843/
https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/mclaren-extends-mercedes-f1-engine-deal-until-2030/10550843/
Breaking news
BREAKING NEWS: McLaren has confirmed it will continue to run Mercedes power units into the new rules era in 2026. More to follow...
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
Oscar Piastri, McLaren MCL60
Breaking news
A topic of discussion this weekend has been the astonishing conversation around Hamilton joining Red Bull. Both the driver and Christian Horner say it was the other party that contacted them, but both have said no discussions took place.
https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/verstappen-nothing-to-prove-by-having-hamilton-as-future-f1-team-mate/10550778/
https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/verstappen-nothing-to-prove-by-having-hamilton-as-future-f1-team-mate/10550778/
Elsewhere, Robert Shwartzman (Ferrari), Frederik Vesti (Mercedes), Jack Doohan (Alpine) Pato O'Ward (McLaren), Oliver Bearman (Haas), Theo Pourchaire (Alfa Romeo), Felipe Drugovich (Aston Martin) and Zak O'Sullivan (Williams) will all take part.
A real end-of-year feel!
Breaking news
10 'rookie' drivers will take part in FP1, including an all-changed line-up for Red Bull with Isack Hadjar and Formula E world champion Jake Dennis taking over from Verstappen and Perez.
https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/why-red-bulls-all-rookie-f1-abu-dhabi-fp1-line-up-has-value/10546514/
https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/why-red-bulls-all-rookie-f1-abu-dhabi-fp1-line-up-has-value/10546514/
Good morning and welcome to Abu Dhabi ahead of FP1 at the season-ending F1 race weekend. Verstappen and Red Bull may already be champions, but there is plenty of other interest this weekend.
By: Autosport Staff
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