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F1 Abu Dhabi GP Live Commentary and Updates - FP1 & FP2
Friday's action from the 22nd round of the 2023 Formula 1 season.
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By: Sam Hall, Stephen Lickorish, Haydn Cobb
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And, with that, it completes the final Friday of the 2023 season. Join us just before 1030 GMT tomorrow for the build-up to the last practice of the year. Bye for now.
Breaking news
So, we didn't get much running in that session, but here's our round-up of the little we did have:
https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/f1-abu-dhabi-gp-fp2-report/10551055/
Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
Marshals remove the damaged car of Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-23, from the circuit after a crash in FP2
Nevertheless, it seems encouraging for Ferrari and McLaren with Leclerc and Norris' times - albeit Ferrari suffering from Sainz's strife.
Verstappen was not entirely comfortable in his Red Bull but the lack of running after Sainz and Hulkenberg's crashes means we're all a little in the dark.
Drivers now complete some practice starts to round out a session that it is very difficult to read much into.
Perez demotes the Mercedes man a place, though, as the second Red Bull now takes fifth spot, just two tenths down on his team-mate Verstappen in third.
Sure enough, Russell goes fifth with that late effort to go two tenths quicker than team-mate Hamilton.
Checkered flag
The chequered flag has now gone out and Russell is one of the few drivers who could register a late improvement.
The Dutchman has now posted a time on the soft rubber and he's only third! Is it too much to hope that we have a three-team battle at the front here?
Hairy moment for Verstappen there as he gets caught out by a late call from the team to say Piastri was on a fast lap as the Red Bull driver emerges from the pits on softs.
Hamilton has also improved on softs to move to fifth, but he's still behind the impressive-looking Alfas.
Norris has now bolted on the softs and goes up to second, just 0.05s slower than pacesetter Leclerc.
Quote
"The car is jumping like a kangaroo," says Verstappen of the tricky Red Bull in the final sector so clearly not all ideal for the champion.
The Red Bulls now move up to ninth and 12th as they continue on the mediums - but that still leaves them behind Norris, who is the top driver to use the yellow-walled rubber in seventh.
But, if only this was qualifying, as the intriguing top six of Leclerc, Bottas, Gasly, Zhou, Piastri and Ricciardo is a brilliantly random one!
Hamilton and Perez are languishing in 18th and 19th but it's worth noting they're among the few sticking with the medium compound tyres.
We're under the lights now in Abu Dhabi as the sun has truly set as we enter the final 10 minutes of this disjointed session.
Stopwatch
Leclerc now jumps to the top of the times on his softs with a 1m24.809s.
Worth noting the top six, with the exception of Norris, have all bolted on the soft tyres here.
Stopwatch
Norris is the first to set a time and jumps to the top of the leaderboard with a 1m25.625s, that is quickly beaten by Piastri and then Bottas while Hulkenberg watches on from the sidelines at Turn 1.
Replays show Verstappen almost colliding with the Mercedes drivers in the tunnel and the Red Bull was nearly in the wall there when trying to pass, you guessed it, Hamilton.
More jostling in the tight Abu Dhabi pitlane with Verstappen, in particular, in a rush to get out!
Green flag
So, take three! We're back under way in FP2
And cue the pitlane queue again! Cars are pouring out of the garages and this time it's Norris who has jumped to the front of the line.
Race control says the session will resume in two minutes, leaving a frantic final 16 minutes. Provided we don't get a further interruption...
A recovery vehicle now arrives to pick up Hulkenberg's car, which has a fair bit of damage to the rear left.
So, when we said earlier about the drivers potentially getting 35 minutes of running in that session, that's instantly gone out of the window. Therefore teams will be going into qualifying very much on the back foot.
"Lost it exit of Turn 1," says Hulkenberg, who just ran ever so slightly wide out of the corner and that sent him spinning hard into the barriers on the inside.
Red flag
We have another red flag, though! It's Hulkenberg in the wall!
Replays show it did all get a bit close in the pitlane as Ricciardo barged his way ahead of Hamilton into the queue.
Everyone has headed out immediately with the exception of Russell, who tops the times and also was quickest in FP1 earlier.
Green flag
We're finally green again in Abu Dhabi!