In the final practice session for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, George Russell narrowly outpaced title rival Lando Norris by just 0.004 seconds. Russell, representing Mercedes, topped the FP3 timing charts, while Norris, who led both sessions on Friday, secured second place.
Norris holds a 12-point advantage over Max Verstappen from Red Bull and will claim his first world championship by finishing within the top three on Sunday, irrespective of other results. During practice, Norris narrowly avoided a collision with the slower Hiroki Tsunoda in the last sector, with Tsunoda now under investigation for the incident.
Verstappen placed third, 0.124 seconds behind Russell, followed by Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin in fourth and fellow title contender Oscar Piastri in fifth. Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman of Haas finished sixth and seventh, with Charles Leclerc, Kimi Antonelli, and Alex Albon completing the top ten.
Lewis Hamilton experienced a high-speed crash at Turn 9, resulting in an 18th-place finish but emerged uninjured. The crash caused a red flag during FP3. Additionally, Tsunoda collided with Antonelli in the pit lane, preventing him from setting a timed lap on soft tires, leaving him as the slowest in the session. Both Antonelli and Tsunoda are expected to face the stewards before qualifying, starting at 2 PM UK time.
Abu Dhabi Final Practice Results:
- George Russell (Mercedes) – 1:23.334
- Lando Norris (McLaren) – 1:23.338
- Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 1:23.458
- Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) – 1:23.585
- Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 1:23.593
- Esteban Ocon (Haas) – 1:23.605
- Oliver Bearman (Haas) – 1:23.609
- Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 1:23.675
- Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – 1:23.707
- Alex Albon (Williams) – 1:23.772
Fan Take: This final practice shake-up adds tremendous excitement heading into the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, especially with Norris’s championship hopes on the line. It’s shaping up to be a thrilling showdown that could redefine the future of Formula 1 and keep fans on the edge of their seats.
