Charles Leclerc tops first practice for F1 Abu Dhabi GP ahead of Lando Norris

Charles Leclerc was fastest in the first practice session for the F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, ahead of Lando Norris.

Leclerc’s early running at the Yas Marina Circuit was hindered by a technical issue, which kept him in the garage for approximately 25 minutes.

However, it didn’t halt his progress on track, as he topped the timesheets with a 0.221s advantage over Norris.

The battle for the 2024 F1 constructors’ championship remains close, with just 21 points separating McLaren and Ferrari.

For Ferrari to clinch their first title since 2008, they would need a 1-2 finish on Sunday, with McLaren securing fourth and fifth.

Shortly after the session, it was revealed that Leclerc would incur a 10-place grid penalty for exceeding his energy store allocation for the year.

This means Leclerc won’t start higher than 11th on race day.

The two Mercedes drivers finished third and fourth overall.

Lewis Hamilton was 0.3 seconds ahead of teammate George Russell, as the seven-time world champion prepares to drive for Mercedes for the final time this weekend.

Pierre Gasly set the fifth-fastest time, followed by Nico Hulkenberg and Franco Colapinto.

Kevin Magnussen rounded out the top eight in FP1 for Haas.

Rookies Get Their Chance in FP1

Six rookie drivers participated in the first practice session.

Felipe Drugovich was the highest-placed rookie, finishing ninth for Aston Martin, impressively ahead of teammate Fernando Alonso.

However, the Spaniard lamented his car’s handling issues during the session.

Ryo Hirakawa drove Oscar Piastri’s McLaren and secured the 14th-best time.

Hirakawa, a member of McLaren’s development programme, has also been competing in the World Endurance Championship.

Isack Hadjar replaced Max Verstappen in the Red Bull and finished 15th overall.

The Frenchman will be hoping to impress Red Bull enough to secure a full-time seat at VCARB.

Ayumu Iwasa was 17th fastest in Yuki Tsunoda’s AlphaTauri, while Arthur Leclerc 18th in the second Ferrari.

Luke Browning rounded out the field with the slowest time of the session for Williams.