Championship leader Lando Norris held off title challenger Max Verstappen to take the top spot in the opening practice session of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Norris set the benchmark at 1:24.485 on his third flying lap on soft tires after his first attempt to record a time in Turn 2 was ruined by a spin. This was enough to beat Verstappen’s first attempt, but with just 0.008 seconds separating the two championship contenders, it wasn’t by much.
Charles Leclerc finished just 0.016 seconds behind in the top three for Ferrari, while Kimi Antonelli ensured that all four teams finished within the top four with a lap 0.123 seconds behind.
The sessions were very tight, but FP1 was one of only two sessions held during the day, so conditions were not like those of night qualifying or twilight Grand Prix. Still, expectations were high that the championship match would be a close one.
However, it was not all plain sailing for the leaders, with Verstappen complaining late on that “something might be broken in the car”, but when asked specifically where the problem was, he answered vaguely that the problem was “everywhere”.
Norris also started the session with Flovis paint on his rear wing, despite it being a previously used part. The soft-save snap wasn’t his only good run. The British rider used a lot of fuel and sailed wide at the first turn, finishing a lap behind.
Despite showing a competitive flying lap, Leclerc lamented his lack of race pace, at least in warm conditions.
“It feels like the car has zero grip,” he said over the radio. “I can’t believe it, I really don’t understand it.”
Nico Hulkenberg was a competitive fifth for Sauber, his lap just 0.144 seconds slower than Norris, separating him from Antonelli and George Russell in the second Mercedes (0.1 seconds slower).
Gabriel Bortleto finished seventh in his second Sauber, ahead of Oliver Bearman. Oliver Bearman’s Haas suffered from chronic problems throughout his time. The team initially suspected a hydraulic problem, but the British rider quickly got back on track and set the eighth fastest time, just 0.274 seconds slower than Norris. He was then told to retire the car, and the team later explained that a sensor issue may be behind the problem.
Williams’ Carlos Sainz finished in ninth place ahead of Franco Colapinto, completing the top 10.
Toyota sports car star Ryo Hirakawa finished 11th in Esteban Ocon’s Haas, making him the fastest veteran of the 11 junior drivers in FP1.
Racing Bulls’ Isaac Hajjar followed, beating Alpine reserve driver Paul Aron in Pierre Gasly’s car.
McLaren IndyCar star Pato O’Ward guided title contender Oscar Piastri’s car to 14th place.
Arvid Lindblad, who was announced as the 2026 Racing Bulls driver this week and is currently sixth in the F2 championship, led Hiroki Tsunoda’s Racing Bulls car to 15th place, ahead of Ferrari development driver Arthur Leclerc, who was in Lewis Hamilton’s SF25.
2025 Super Formula Champion Ayumu Iwasa moved Liam Lawson’s car to 17th place, ahead of Williams reserve driver Luke Browning, who is fourth in the F2 Championship, in Alex Albon’s car.
Browning became the first driver to beat Norris’ time by more than a second, in a series of impressive performances by rookies.
Aston Martin dual rookies Jack Crawford (an American who finished second in this year’s F2 championship) and Cian Shields completed the order.
result
