Abu Dhabi GP: Lando Norris edges title rival Max Verstappen in Practice One at championship decider
Championship leader Lando Norris edged out his title rival Max Verstappen to set the pace in first practice at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Norris, who holds a 12-point lead over Verstappen going into Sunday’s 2025 finale, delivered a time of 1:24.485s to finish just eight-thousandths of a second clear of the Red Bull driver.
Norris’ McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri, who can also still win the title from his position 16 points behind the Brit, sat out the opening hour of track action as he fulfilled his obligation to miss a second 2025 practice session to allow a rookie to participate.
The results of the early afternoon session at the Yas Marina Circuit are not necessarily representative of how the weekend’s competitive action will play out, given qualifying and the race both take place in the vastly different evening conditions under the floodlights.
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Ferrari’s Arthur Leclerc sends a jibe to his brother, Charles, after he spun off the track during the first practice session at the Abu Dhabi GP
Piastri, who was replaced by Pato O’Ward, was one of nine drivers to sit out the session to allow rookies to feature.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was just 0.016s back from Norris in third, with Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli a further tenth of a second back in fourth.
Verstappen set his best time with his first lap on the soft tyre, the quickest available compound, and then appeared to not chase any further one-lap performance.
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Zak Brown admits McLaren will implement team orders if ‘clear one has a chance and the other doesn’t’, during the season finale in Abu Dhabi
Norris bailed out of his first attempt at a flying lap on the soft tyre after making an error on his way out of the second corner, and was then slightly behind Verstappen with his first run.
He then cooled his tyres before going for another run, with which he was able to edge ahead of Verstappen.
Japanese driver Ryo Hirakawa’s 11th place for Haas meant he was the highest finisher of the rookie group, which featured British teenager Arvid Lindblad, who was this week given a Racing Bulls seat for 2026.
Lindblad, who was driving for Red Bull rather than their junior squad in Friday’s session, was seven tenths off his team-mate Verstappen’s time.
Abu Dhabi GP Practice One Timesheet
Driver
Team
Time
1) Lando Norris
McLaren
1:24.485
2) Max Verstappen
Red Bull
+0.008
3) Charles Leclerc
Ferrari
+0.016
4) Kimi Antonelli
Mercedes
+0.123
5) Nico Hulkenberg
Sauber
+0.133
6) George Russell
Mercedes
+0.248
7) Gabriel Bortoleto
Sauber
+0.257
8) Oliver Bearman
Haas
+0.274
9) Carlos Sainz
Williams
+0.286
10) Franco Colapinto
Alpine
+0.370
11) Ryo Hirakawa
Haas
+0.449
12) Isack Hadjar
Racing Bulls
+0.492
13) Paul Aron
Alpine
+0.719
14) Pato O’Ward
McLaren
+0.761
15) Arvid Lindblad
Red Bull
+0.771
16) Arthur Leclerc
Ferrari
+0.875
17) Ayumu Iwasa
Racing Bulls
+0.990
18) Luke Browning
Williams
+1.005
19) Jak Crawford
Aston Martin
+1.404
20) Cian Shields
Aston Martin
+1.947
Sky Sports F1’s Abu Dhabi GP schedule
Friday December 5
12.45pm: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Practice Two (session starts at 1pm)*
2.15pm: The F1 Show*
Saturday December 6
10.15am: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Practice Three (session starts at 10.30am)*
12.10pm: F2 Sprint Race*
1.15pm: Abu Dhabi GP Qualifying build-up*
2pm: ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX QUALIFYING*
4pm: Ted’s Qualifying Notebook*
Sunday December 7
9.10am: F2 Feature Race
11am: Grand Prix Sunday: Abu Dhabi GP build-up*
1pm: THE ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX*
3pm: Chequered Flag: Abu Dhabi GP reaction*
4pm: Ted’s Notebook
*also on Sky Sports Main Event
The 2025 F1 season concludes with the title-deciding Abu Dhabi Grand Prix live on Sky Sports F1 from Friday. Stream Sky Sports with NOW – no contract, cancel anytime
