Lando Norris led FP2 in a beautiful Abu Dhabi setting with the sunset in the background, as drivers prepare for Saturday’s qualifying in what is the final Grand Prix of the 2024 Formula 1 season.
McLaren’s Lando Norris was leading halfway through the session with teammate Oscar Piastri behind him by half a second. The papaya-colored duo looked strong around Abu Dhabi, as they run to secure the Constructors’ Championship.
Argentine rookie Franco Colapinto was about to make a great lap with 30 minutes to go with two purple sectors, but he ran wide in the last sector and suffered floor damage through the curb, though much to his team’s relief the Williams kept it off the wall. He was the only one running with the Medium tire compound, and did not return, as the team deemed the car was too damaged to continue the session.
With 15 minutes to go, almost the entire grid was out of the track. Only a few, including current Champion Max Verstappen, had gone out as night fell in Abu Dhabi.
Meanwhile, Alexander Albon encountered technical problems and was driving slowly around Yas Marina on his way to the Williams box. He was stuck in third gear.
The 10-minute mark approached and this time the entire grid but Williams was out on track, although Albon later returned.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc complained about the traffic, saying on the radio that “half the grid” was sleeping. The Monegasque set the 6th fastest time of the session, by a gap of +0.684s to the leader Norris, who placed a laptime of 1:23.517s, followed by Piastri by 0.234s.
Nico Hulkenberg completed the top three, followed by Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and Mercedes’s Lewis Hamilton, who’s running his last race with the Silver Arrows before moving to the Maranello-based squad to team up with Leclerc.
Sauber showed strength around Abu Dhabi as Valtteri Bottas finished 7th by a gap of 0.713s to P1, and his teammate Guanyu Zhou in P15, both with the Medium compound.
Kevin Magnussen, Albon and Yuki Tsunoda completed the top 10, and RB teammate Liam Lawson in P11 by 0.986s to the lead.
Pierre Gasly was 12th. The French driver changed teammates this weekend at Alpine released Esteban Ocon early, replacing him with Jack Doohan.
George Russell was P13 as he complained about some aspects of his car, and behind him was Sergio Perez, who’s been a disappointment for Red Bull in the second half of the season, and his future with the team is in doubt.
Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll sandwiched Verstappen, who only achieved the 17th fastest time of the session.
Colapinto completed the charts in P20.