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Lando Norris has drawn first blood in Abu Dhabi, topping the opening practice session of the season finale at Yas Marina with a 1:24.485 — just 0.008s ahead of title rival Max Verstappen and 0.016s clear of Charles Leclerc. Under warm, dry daytime conditions (27.8°C air, 33.6°C track), the McLaren driver looked sharp on both medium and soft tyres, setting himself up strongly in a weekend where a podium would secure him the championship.
The hour-long session was far from representative of qualifying or race conditions, with FP2 set to run at dusk in cooler temperatures. Nine rookie drivers took part as teams fulfilled their mandatory young driver outings, meaning several regulars — including Oscar Piastri — sat out.
Norris’ pace was the headline, but Verstappen was right there despite reporting something “broken” on his Red Bull. The Dutchman’s onboard looked fine, but he complained of issues “everywhere” as the RB bottomed out over bumps. Leclerc, third fastest, was less upbeat, lamenting “zero grip” and poor race simulation runs despite Ferrari’s strong history here.
Kimi Antonelli impressed again, going fourth ahead of Nico Hulkenberg, George Russell, and Gabriel Bortoleto. The top seven were covered by less than three tenths, hinting at a close fight once all championship contenders are on track together in FP2.
Teams had the C3, C4, and C5 compounds available, with no mandatory lap counts. Norris’ best came on softs after a strong medium run, while Verstappen’s fastest lap was also on the C5. Leclerc’s pace on softs was competitive over one lap but faded on longer runs.
Sector data showed:
Straight-line speed charts placed Verstappen and Hadjar at the top, with Norris mid-pack — suggesting McLaren’s setup is leaning towards cornering performance.
Norris leads Verstappen by 12 points, with Piastri 16 back. The Briton’s FP1 form is encouraging, but with Piastri missing the session and Verstappen still quick despite issues, the fight is far from settled. Ferrari’s struggles could remove them from the title equation, but Antonelli’s Mercedes pace hints at a possible spoiler role.
FP2 will be the most telling session of the weekend, run in race-like conditions. All regular drivers will return, including Piastri, and the first true comparison between the three title contenders will emerge. With the top three separated by hundredths in FP1, expect a tense and finely balanced battle under the lights.
The stage is set — FP2 will tell us if Norris’ early advantage is real or just a product of the unrepresentative conditions.
He’s a software engineer with a deep passion for Formula 1 and motorsport. He co-founded Formula Live Pulse to make live telemetry and race insights accessible, visual, and easy to follow.
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