F1: Norris surprises by dominating the first session in Abu Dhabi

The first free practice session of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix took on the appearance of an epic duel between Lando Norris and Max Verstappen. At the end of an exercise as intense as it was unpredictable, the McLaren driver edged out his rival by just 0.008 seconds, putting pressure on the Dutchman at the dawn of a race that could seal the fate of the championship. One could say this session had the taste of a suspenseful finale, like a thrilling thriller where every second counts.

A session full of twists and turns

The Yas Marina circuit saw a plethora of drivers, including some rookies fighting to prove themselves. Among them was Pato O’Ward, who took Oscar Piastri’s place in the McLaren. In total, nine regular drivers handed their seats to young talents, adhering to the regulations that require this type of rotation during two free practice sessions per season. It was a bit like a casting for an action movie, where the main actors sometimes let promising supporting characters take the spotlight.

Verstappen in pole position… then Norris strikes

Initially, Max Verstappen took command of the session with a lap time of 1:27.130s on hard tyres, ahead of George Russell by 0.038 seconds. But that’s when things got interesting. The first half of the session saw several drivers attempting to take the lead, with standout moments for Gabriel Bortoleto and Isack Hadjar. A true festival of bold maneuvers!

As the drivers donned the C5 Soft tyres for performance runs, Verstappen struck back hard with a time of 1:24.493s. However, Norris was quick to respond, and after a few exchanges of best times, he ultimately took the lead with a staggering time of 1:24.485s. It was a bit like watching a tennis final where each player returned the ball with increasing intensity.

The podium takes shape

Charles Leclerc finished the session on a solid note, placing his Ferrari in third position with a time of 1:24.501s. One could almost hear hearts beating faster in the pits as the times fell. Behind them, Kimi Antonelli took fourth place for Mercedes, followed by Nico Hülkenberg and George Russell, who completed the top six. Young wolves like Gabriel Bortoleto and Oliver Bearman also shone by making it into the top 10.

The rookies make their entrance

It should be noted that among the nine rookies present, Ryō Hirakawa managed to stand out by signing the best time with a brilliant eleventh place. For these young drivers, it was the dream opportunity to showcase their potential against the titans of the discipline. It was as if a new generation of superheroes was being launched into the arena: the excitement was palpable.

The final performance table

Here is the final classification after this first free practice session:

2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Free Practice 1
1 Lando Norris (McLaren/Mercedes) – 1:24.485
2 Max Verstappen (Red Bull/Honda RBPT) – 1:24.493 (+0.008)
3 Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 1:24.501 (+0.016)
4 Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – 1:24.608 (+0.123)
5 Nico Hülkenberg (Sauber/Ferrari) – 1:24.629 (+0.144)
6 George Russell (Mercedes) – 1:24.733 (+0.248)
7 Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber/Ferrari) – 1:24.742 (+0.257)
8 Oliver Bearman (Haas/Ferrari) – 1:24.759 (+0.274)
9 Carlos Sainz (Williams/Mercedes) – 1:24.771 (+0.286)
10 Franco Colapinto (Alpine/Renault) – 1:24.855 (+0.370)
11 Ryō Hirakawa (Haas/Ferrari) – 1:24.934 (+0.449)
12 Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls/Honda RBPT) – 1:24.977 (+0.492)
13 Paul Aron (Alpine/Renault) – 1:25.204 (+0.719)
14 Pato O’Ward (McLaren/Mercedes) – 1:25.246 (+0.761)
15 Arvid Lindblad (Red Bull/Honda RBPT) – 1:25.256 (+0.771)
16 Arthur Leclerc (Ferrari) – 1:25.360 (+0.875)
17 Ayumu Iwasa (Racing Bulls/Honda RBPT) – 1:25.475 (+0.990)
18 Luke Browning (Williams/Mercedes) – 1:25.490 (+1.005)
19 Jak Crawford (Aston Martin/Mercedes) – 1:25.889 (+1.404)
20 Cian Shields (Aston Martin/Mercedes) – 1:26.432 (+1.947)