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F1 Abu Dhabi GP: Leclerc leads Norris in opening practice

Charles Leclerc was fastest in Formula 1's final FP1 session of 2024 at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, two tenths clear of McLaren's Lando Norris.

Ferrari driver Leclerc was stranded in the garage for the opening 25 minutes of the session with a battery issue, but immediately picked up the pace when he got out on track.

After getting a few laps on the board, he took aim at Norris' then-benchmark of a 1m24.542s, and set a 1m24.321s on the soft tyres to vault to the top of the leaderboard.

The opening session of the Yas Marina round featured multiple reserve and young drivers as the teams fulfilled the requirements for running inexperienced drivers before the season was out - including Leclerc's brother Arthur, who took over Carlos Sainz's Ferrari seat for the FP1 session.

Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton was third quickest, having been on top of the order at the conclusion of the medium-tyre runs during the opening half-hour of the session, ahead of team-mate George Russell.

Alpine's Pierre Gasly continued his impressive form and claimed the fifth-fastest time, 0.04s clear of Nico Hulkenberg's Haas. The two Haas drivers, who leave the team at the end of the season, were split by Franco Colapinto in seventh as Kevin Magnussen ended up eighth.

Felipe Drugovich was the highest-placed rookie in the session, setting a time on softs just moments behind Fernando Alonso to go 0.033s faster than his illustrious Aston Martin stablemate. Sergio Perez was between them in 10th in the lead Red Bull.

Liam Lawson (RB) and Valtteri Bottas (Sauber) were ahead of McLaren's Ryo Hirakawa, who spent most of the session conducting aero work before getting a chance on soft tyres later into the run-time. The Toyota World Endurance Championship driver will also drive for Haas in the post-weekend Yas Marina test. 

F2 title contender Isack Hadjar, driving Max Verstappen's Red Bull, was 15th fastest. The Frenchman was a consistent presence on the radio having become frustrated by F3 champion Luke Browning being ahead of him on two occasions.

Hadjar was just half a tenth up on Zhou Guanyu, who struggled throughout the session with understeer in the slower corners.

Ayumu Iwasa (RB) and Arthur Leclerc (Ferrari) were two tenths down on Zhou, while Alpine's new driver Jack Doohan and Williams' Browning completed the order.

Abu Dhabi GP - FP1 results:

   
1
 - 
4
   
   
1
 - 
2
   
Cla Driver # Chassis Engine Laps Time Interval km/h
1 Monaco C. Leclerc Ferrari 16 Ferrari Ferrari 19

1'24.321

  225.466
2 United Kingdom L. Norris McLaren 4 McLaren Mercedes 25

+0.221

1'24.542

0.221 224.877
3 United Kingdom L. Hamilton Mercedes 44 Mercedes Mercedes 27

+0.485

1'24.806

0.264 224.177
4 United Kingdom G. Russell Mercedes 63 Mercedes Mercedes 27

+0.844

1'25.165

0.359 223.232
5 France P. Gasly Alpine 10 Alpine Renault 24

+1.012

1'25.333

0.168 222.793
6 Germany N. Hulkenberg Haas F1 Team 27 Haas Ferrari 23

+1.052

1'25.373

0.040 222.688
7 Argentina F. Colapinto Williams 43 Williams Mercedes 24

+1.061

1'25.382

0.009 222.665
8 Denmark K. Magnussen Haas F1 Team 20 Haas Ferrari 25

+1.123

1'25.444

0.062 222.503
9 Brazil F. Drugovich Aston Martin Racing 34 Aston Martin Mercedes 22

+1.150

1'25.471

0.027 222.433
10 Mexico S. Perez Red Bull Racing 11 Red Bull Red Bull 26

+1.162

1'25.483

0.012 222.402
11 Spain F. Alonso Aston Martin Racing 14 Aston Martin Mercedes 23

+1.183

1'25.504

0.021 222.347
12 New Zealand L. Lawson RB 30 RB Red Bull 27

+1.242

1'25.563

0.059 222.194
13 Finland V. Bottas Sauber 77 Sauber Ferrari 23

+1.290

1'25.611

0.048 222.069
14 Japan R. Hirakawa McLaren 28 McLaren Mercedes 19

+1.553

1'25.874

0.263 221.389
15 France I. Hadjar Red Bull Racing 37 Red Bull Honda 22

+1.556

1'25.877

0.003 221.381
16 China Z. Guanyu Sauber 24 Sauber Ferrari 23

+1.600

1'25.921

0.044 221.268
17 Japan A. Iwasa RB 40 RB Honda 24

+1.800

1'26.121

0.200 220.754
18 Monaco A. Leclerc Ferrari 39 Ferrari Ferrari 22

+1.858

1'26.179

0.058 220.605
19 Australia J. Doohan Alpine 61 Alpine Renault 24

+1.983

1'26.304

0.125 220.286
20
L. Browning Williams
46 Williams Mercedes 22

+2.198

1'26.519

0.215 219.739

Photos from Abu Dhabi GP Practice

Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing RB20

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Friday

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Friday

Liam Lawson, Visa Cash App RB F1 Team with his girlfriend Hannah St. John

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Friday

Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Friday

Pato O'Ward, McLaren F1 Team

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Friday

George Russell, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Friday

Jackie Stewart

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Friday

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari and the Tifosi tartan

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Friday

Alex Albon, Williams Racing, with girlfriend Lily Muni He

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Friday

Alex Albon, Williams Racing, Oscar Piastri, McLaren F1 Team, Lando Norris, McLaren F1 Team, Franco Colapinto, Williams Racing, on stage in the Fanzone

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Friday

Fans in the fanzone

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Friday

Charles Leclerc, Scuderia Ferrari, arrives in the paddock with girlfriend Alexandra Saint Mleux

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Friday

Liam Lawson, Visa Cash App RB F1 Team

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Friday

Ayumu Iwasa, RB F1 Team

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Friday

Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin F1 Team

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Friday

Ferrari SF-24 technical detail

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Friday

Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing RB20

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Friday

Ayumu Iwasa, Visa Cash App RB F1 Team

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Friday

Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Friday

Nico Hulkenberg, Haas F1 Team, in cockpit

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Friday

Charles Leclerc, Scuderia Ferrari

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Friday

Ayumu Iwasa, Visa Cash App RB F1 Team

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Friday

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W15

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Friday

Arthur Leclerc, Ferrari SF-24

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Friday

Ayumu Iwasa, VCARB 01

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Friday

Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing RB20

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Friday

Arthur Leclerc, Ferrari SF-24

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Friday

Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing RB20

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Friday

Jack Doohan, Alpine A524

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Friday

Ryo Hirakawa, McLaren MCL38

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Friday

George Russell, Mercedes F1 W15

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Friday

Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-24

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Friday

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-24

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Friday

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-24

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Friday

Kevin Magnussen, Haas F1 Team

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Friday

Rear light on the Haas VF-24

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Friday

Kevin Magnussen, Haas VF-24, Nico Hulkenberg, Haas VF-24

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Friday

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-24

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Friday

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W15

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Friday

Ryo Hirakawa, McLaren MCL38

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Friday

Liam Lawson, RB F1 Team VCARB 01

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Friday

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W15

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Friday

Sparks fly from Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-24

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Friday

Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Friday

Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-24, Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W15, Pierre Gasly, Alpine A524

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Friday

George Russell, Mercedes F1 W15

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Friday

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Friday

Lance Stroll, Aston Martin AMR24

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Friday

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-24

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Friday

Kevin Magnussen, Haas VF-24

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Friday

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Friday

Sparks fly from George Russell, Mercedes F1 W15

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Friday

Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing RB20

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Friday

Oscar Piastri, McLaren MCL38

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Friday

Formula 1
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In this article
Jake Boxall-Legge
Formula 1
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