Red Bull’s Max Verstappen was fastest in Friday’s opening session at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. PHOTO: Red Bull content pool

BRENDAN LINES December 11, 2021

WORLD Championship combatants Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen traded fastest times across Friday’s practice sessions in the title-deciding season finale at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. 

Verstappen gained an early advantage topping FP1 in his Soft tyre-shod Red Bull, the Dutchman posted a 1:25.009s finishing two tenths clear of Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas in P2 and title rival Lewis Hamilton was P3.

Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez rounded out the top four positions, it was the drivers’ first look at the new Yas Marina layout, in the late afternoon session.

It was a surprise result for Alpha Tauri’s Yuki Tsunoda, who finished in P5 ahead of teammate Pierre Gasly in P7, while the Alpine of Fernando Also separated the pair. The Ferrari’s of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz finished line astern in P8 and P9 respectively, while Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel completed the top ten.

Later, it was Hamilton who was quickest in the cooler conditions as the sun went down and the floodlights took over the track in FP2.

The Brit countered Verstappen’s previous fastest time setting a new benchmark time of 1:23.691s  on the Soft tyres.

Though Verstappen slipped back to P4 in the evening session, Hamilton said the relative pace between the rivals was still “unknown”.

“I’m sure it’s going to be super close, as it has been in the previous races,” he said.

After setting the fastest time, Hamilton went on his race simulation runs on the Mediums, the defending world champion expects overtaking might still be a challenge come Sunday’s race on the reclassified circuit.

“On my long run, I was trying to follow the car ahead and it still wasn’t easy here but it should be better than in the past,” he said.

Alpine continued it’s impressive Friday, this time it was Esteban Ocon, the Frenchman finished just three tenths behind Hamilton’s fastest time and ahead of Bottas in P3 by a similar margin — Alonso was again in the mix with P6.

Vertappen ended his session six tenths down on Hamilton, but was still the fastest of the Red Bull pair, teammate Sergio Perez finishing in P5.

Surprise packet Tsunoda was again the fastest Alpha Tauri, this time it was P7 for the rookie ahead of Gasly in P10.

It was a rinse and repeat result for Ferrari, Leclerc remained the lead of the prancing horses in P8 and Sainz P9.

FP3 at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix begins 8.30pm (ACDST) tonight.

Full results

FP1

1	33	Max Verstappen	RED BULL RACING HONDA	1:25.009		23 Laps
2	77	Valtteri Bottas	MERCEDES	1:25.205	+0.196s	27
3	44	Lewis Hamilton	MERCEDES	1:25.355	+0.346s	25
4	11	Sergio Perez	RED BULL RACING HONDA	1:25.363	+0.354s	24
5	22	Yuki Tsunoda	ALPHATAURI HONDA	1:25.378	+0.369s	23
6	14	Fernando Alonso	ALPINE RENAULT	1:25.625	+0.616s	26
7	10	Pierre Gasly	ALPHATAURI HONDA	1:25.822	+0.813s	28
8	16	Charles Leclerc	FERRARI	1:25.846	+0.837s	20
9	55	Carlos Sainz	FERRARI	1:25.886	+0.877s	26
10	5	Sebastian Vettel	ASTON MARTIN MERCEDES	1:26.007	+0.998s	26
11	31	Esteban Ocon	ALPINE RENAULT	1:26.025	+1.016s	25
12	4	Lando Norris	MCLAREN MERCEDES	1:26.123	+1.114s	26
13	7	Kimi Räikkönen	ALFA ROMEO RACING FERRARI	1:26.189	+1.180s	25
14	99	Antonio Giovinazzi	ALFA ROMEO RACING FERRARI	1:26.409	+1.400s	25
15	18	Lance Stroll	ASTON MARTIN MERCEDES	1:26.608	+1.599s	26
16	3	Daniel Ricciardo	MCLAREN MERCEDES	1:26.676	+1.667s	29
17	89	Jack Aitken	WILLIAMS MERCEDES	1:27.481	+2.472s	27
18	6	Nicholas Latifi	WILLIAMS MERCEDES	1:27.487	+2.478s	27
19	47	Mick Schumacher	HAAS FERRARI	1:27.698	+2.689s	24
20	9	Nikita Mazepin	HAAS FERRARI	1:28.305	+3.296s	22

FP2

1	44	Lewis Hamilton	MERCEDES	1:23.691		26 Laps
2	31	Esteban Ocon	ALPINE RENAULT	1:24.034	+0.343s	29
3	77	Valtteri Bottas	MERCEDES	1:24.083	+0.392s	29
4	33	Max Verstappen	RED BULL RACING HONDA	1:24.332	+0.641s	25
5	11	Sergio Perez	RED BULL RACING HONDA	1:24.400	+0.709s	26
6	14	Fernando Alonso	ALPINE RENAULT	1:24.495	+0.804s	27
7	22	Yuki Tsunoda	ALPHATAURI HONDA	1:24.532	+0.841s	26
8	16	Charles Leclerc	FERRARI	1:24.557	+0.866s	29
9	55	Carlos Sainz	FERRARI	1:24.844	+1.153s	29
10	10	Pierre Gasly	ALPHATAURI HONDA	1:24.940	+1.249s	27
11	3	Daniel Ricciardo	MCLAREN MERCEDES	1:24.959	+1.268s	26
12	99	Antonio Giovinazzi	ALFA ROMEO RACING FERRARI	1:25.108	+1.417s	27
13	4	Lando Norris	MCLAREN MERCEDES	1:25.153	+1.462s	27
14	5	Sebastian Vettel	ASTON MARTIN MERCEDES	1:25.195	+1.504s	27
15	18	Lance Stroll	ASTON MARTIN MERCEDES	1:25.385	+1.694s	26
16	7	Kimi Räikkönen	ALFA ROMEO RACING FERRARI	1:25.440	+1.749s	23
17	63	George Russell	WILLIAMS MERCEDES	1:25.549	+1.858s	29
18	6	Nicholas Latifi	WILLIAMS MERCEDES	1:25.687	+1.996s	22
19	47	Mick Schumacher	HAAS FERRARI	1:25.784	+2.093s	27
20	9	Nikita Mazepin	HAAS FERRARI	1:26.336	+2.645s	26