Practice 1 Report - Norris edges Verstappen in close Abu Dhabi practice

Max Verstappen
© Dawn Chua, Formula Press

Lando Norris opened the final weekend of the 2025 Formula 1 season by topping Free Practice 1 in Abu Dhabi, narrowly defeating Max Verstappen by just 0.008s in a session defined by rookie participation and rapidly evolving track conditions. Norris’s 1m24.485s on used soft tyres stood as the benchmark, placing the McLaren driver ahead of his championship rival as he begins a decisive title-deciding weekend at Yas Marina.

Nine rookies took part in FP1 as part of the FIA’s mandatory young-driver running, with Oscar Piastri among those stepping aside. His McLaren seat was filled by IndyCar star Pato O’Ward, who finished 14th with a 1m25.246s on mediums. Early in the hour, tyre variation shaped the order as some drivers, including Norris, ran mediums, while others—such as O’Ward—opted for softs. Verstappen initially set the pace with a 1m27.130s on hards, 0.038s clear of George Russell, before the field gradually transitioned toward performance runs.

Once the frontrunners switched to soft tyres, the times collapsed. Verstappen became the first to break into the 1m24s, clocking a 1m24.493s, which placed him 0.026s ahead of Norris and 0.074s ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who ultimately secured third with a 1m24.501s despite reporting poor grip. Norris responded moments later, edging the Red Bull driver by 0.008s—a margin that would hold through the closing long-run period, during which many teams returned to harder compounds to gather race-trim data.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli continued his strong late-season form for Mercedes, taking fourth with a 1m24.608s on softs. Nico Hülkenberg delivered an impressive 1m24.629s for fifth in Sauber’s final weekend before its transition to Audi, finishing just ahead of Russell’s 1m24.733s. Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto added to the team’s encouraging start by setting a 1m24.742s for seventh.

Oliver Bearman was the quickest driver not running soft tyres, placing eighth for Haas with a 1m24.759s on mediums. Carlos Sainz’s 1m24.771s put the Williams driver ninth, while Alpine rookie Franco Colapinto completed the top 10 with a 1m24.855s.

Ryo Hirakawa led the nine rookies with an 11th-place 1m24.934s.

Isack Hadjar was 12th (1m24.977s).

The rest of the young-driver cohort filled positions 13 through 20, including Aron (1m25.204s), O’Ward (1m25.246s), Lindblad (1m25.256s), Arthur Leclerc (1m25.360s), Iwasa (1m25.475s), Browning (1m25.490s), Crawford (1m25.889s) and Shields (1m26.432s), rounding out a representative session that blended championship tension with rookie opportunity as the final Grand Prix weekend of 2025 began.