Oscar Piastri during the Formula 1 Qatar Grand Prix. Image: Charniaux / XPB Images
Lando Norris sat out the first practice at Austria for Alexander Dunne and Mexico City for Pato O’Ward. Piastri, meanwhile, has missed just one outing at Monza for Dunne and will sit out for O’Ward at Abu Dhabi.
It’s the second year straight that Piastri has missed the opening practice at Abu Dhabi, after sitting out for Ryo Hirakawa.
“We have a very important week ahead as a team,” said O’Ward.
“I will be doing my best to help us put our best foot forward to kick off the weekend.
“I’m excited to see what the outcome will be come race day, and will be supporting Lando and Oscar along the way as they push to make history.”
McLaren comes into the final round of the 2025 season with both of its drivers in contention for the title.
Norris is the short-priced favourite with a 12-point lead over Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
Piastri is still in the hunt, albeit 16 points in arrears of his McLaren teammate.
“Qatar was one of my strongest weekends in F1. The aim for Abu Dhabi is to replicate that and do everything I can for the race win,” said Piastri.
“I will give it my all and make sure I leave no points on the table in this final race.”
McLaren has already won the constructors’ championship, and now it seeks to secure its first drivers’ championship since Lewis Hamilton in 2008.
Assuming either one of Norris or Piastri wins, it would be the first time since 1998 that McLaren has won the drivers’ and constructors’ championship in the same year.
“If someone had told us 10 months ago that we would be in this position, we would have signed up immediately,” said McLaren team principal Adrea Stella.
“We should be proud of what we have achieved so far and of being protagonists in what will be an important page in the history of Formula 1.
“The last two races certainly did not go as we wanted, for very different reasons. After each setback, we have always shown that we know how to react, learning from our mistakes and working as a united and cohesive team.
“It will be the same in Abu Dhabi, on the track where 12 months ago we put the team back to the top.
“We will do everything possible to put our drivers in the best position to win the title, continuing to pursue our way of approaching racing, with the aim of bringing back to McLaren a double world championship that has been missing for 27 years.”
Free Practice 1 at the Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is scheduled for Friday, December 5 at 8:30pm AEDT.
