Lando Norris set the fastest time in the second practice session (FP2) for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix as the sun dipped below the horizon. The McLaren driver was followed closely by his teammate Oscar Piastri, with Nico Hulkenberg of Haas rounding out the top three. McLaren’s performance bodes well for their championship charge as they head into the final qualifying session of the season. Ferrari found themselves further down the standings, with Carlos Sainz finishing in 4th and Charles Leclerc in 6th. Max Verstappen, who had already secured the championship, ended the session in a surprising 17th place.
As FP2 unfolded, the session returned to a more familiar setup, with the six rookie drivers replaced by the full-time drivers from their respective teams. Alpine’s Jack Doohan participated in his first-ever FP2 session in Formula 1, stepping in for Esteban Ocon after the Frenchman chose to participate in the post-season test with Haas. Despite a slight lock-up at the end of the main straight, Doohan remained positive and finished 19th. The later session start time provided conditions that were more representative of what we can expect on race day, allowing teams to test both short and long-run strategies.
Ferrari and McLaren started the session strong. After the first 20 minutes, Lando Norris topped the time sheets, with Charles Leclerc, the fastest in FP1, closely following behind. However, Leclerc faces a 10-place grid penalty for the final race of the season due to an energy store replacement. Max Verstappen, who had chosen to sit out the first practice to give Red Bull junior Isack Hadjar some track time, had a tough time in FP2. He voiced concerns over the handling of his RB20, which seemed to be affecting his overall performance.
Williams’ misfortunes continued during FP2. As the evening session wore on, drivers began switching to soft tyres to improve their lap times. Norris continued to impress, setting a best lap of 1:23.517. His only notable mistake came when he suffered a snap of oversteer after hitting the curbs at Turn 1. Meanwhile, Williams’ Franco Colapinto had a much tougher session. The Argentine driver caused significant damage to his car after heavily hitting the outside curb, which ended his practice session prematurely. This could likely be his final F1 practice, as Red Bull has shifted their focus away from the young driver. Williams’ woes weren’t over, as Alex Albon also encountered issues with his car, suspected to be a driveline problem, leaving him stuck in third gear as he limped back to the pits.
McLaren’s strong performance was maintained for the remainder of the session, with Norris and Piastri finishing at the top. Nico Hulkenberg, in his final race for Haas, secured a positive 3rd place finish for the American team. Max Verstappen’s session ended in disappointment, finishing 17th after struggling with understeer throughout. His teammate, Sergio Perez, didn’t fare much better, ending the session in 14th place.
Here are the final results from FP2:
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