Lando Norris led a one-two from team-mate Oscar Piastri in second practice at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix as McLaren made an encouraging start to their attempt to seal the Constructors’ Championship.
McLaren had already been handed a major boost earlier on Friday when Ferrari, who are trying to overturn a 21-point deficit going into Sunday’s season finale, suffered a huge blow as Charles Leclerc incurred a 10-place grid penalty for taking a new battery.
Their prospects of winning the constructors’ title for the first time since 1998 were boosted further in Friday evening’s crucial session, in which conditions are most similar to those for qualifying and the race, when Norris and Piastri impressed.
Norris set a time of 1:23.517s to finish more than two tenths of a second clear of Piastri, while the pair also exhibited strong pace on their longer race simulation runs.
Nico Hulkenberg was a further couple of tenths back in a surprising third for Haas ahead of Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, while Leclerc could only manage sixth.
Lewis Hamilton, who is driving for Mercedes for the final time before ending a 12-season run with the team to join Ferrari next year, was fifth.
George Russell and Max Verstappen – the two drivers who have been the centre of attention in Abu Dhabi due to their extraordinary feud – both struggled.
Mercedes’ Russell could only manage 13th after making an error on his soft-tyre run, while world champion Verstappen was unhappy with the handling of his Red Bull as he could only manage 17th.
Craig Slater took a closer look at how the Qatar penalty fallout escalated between George Russell and Max Verstappen after George labelled the Red Bull driver as a ‘bully’.
Verstappen, Sainz and Piastri were three of six drivers who sat out first practice to allow their teams to complete their obligated quota of young driver sessions for the season.
More to follow…
Sky Sports F1’s live Abu Dhabi GP schedule
Saturday December 7
8.10am: F1 Academy Race One
10.15am: Abu Dhabi GP Practice Three (session starts at 10.30am)
12.10pm: F2 Sprint Race
1.15pm: Abu Dhabi GP Qualifying build-up
2pm: ABU DHABI GP QUALIFYING*
4pm: F1 Academy: Race Two
5pm: Ted’s Qualifying Notebook
Sunday December 8
7.10am: F1 Academy Race Three
9.20am: F2 Feature Race
11.30am: Grand Prix Sunday: Abu Dhabi GP build-up
1pm: The ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX
3pm: Chequered Flag: Abu Dhabi GP reaction
4pm: Ted’s Notebook
*also live on Sky Sports Main Event
Watch the final race of the 2024 Formula 1 season – the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – live on Sky Sports F1, with Sunday’s race at 1pm. Get Sky Sports F1 or stream with NOW
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