The first free practice session of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix usually offers only limited indications. The track starts extremely dirty and needs time to rubber in, which means the level of grip is far from what we then see in qualifying and the race. Morning temperatures are also much higher than during the evening sessions that really matter. This year, however, the opening session already provided several interesting hints in terms of data and approach, especially with regard to the championship fight.
Immediate head-to-head
With Oscar Piastri absent due to rookie requirements and replaced by Pato O’Ward, Lando Norris brought a solid McLaren package onto the track, starting the decisive weekend of the season with a strong baseline setup. As the session progressed, the MCL39 showed excellent grip in the corners — particularly at Turn 9 and through the slow sequence of Sector 3 — but it initially ran very conservatively on the Power Unit side, with noticeably reduced top speeds. Max Verstappen, by contrast, drove a Red Bull that appeared stronger than in recent opening sessions, even though the team clearly still has work to do.
Unlike the usual trend of recent years — and in continuity with what we saw last weekend in Qatar — the Milton Keynes team immediately unleashed plenty of power, with Verstappen enjoying a clear advantage of around 6–7 km/h on the straights during his first run on soft tyres. The impression was that both teams were engaging in a psychological game, something seen many times in crucial moments of past seasons; one might recall the famous “rocket engine” run by Lewis Hamilton in the final races of 2021. For the second attempt, McLaren responded by opening up more engine power, and Norris moved to the top of the timesheets by just eight thousandths.
The data: excellent McLaren grip, Verstappen stronger on the straights with his V-shaped driving
Looking at the telemetry of the fastest laps, Norris’ car showed a clearly higher level of grip, although it is worth noting that the MCL39 often performs extremely well when the track is in difficult conditions before others catch up as the surface improves. Verstappen ran a slightly lower-downforce baseline setup, giving him better straight-line speed and excellent performance in Sector 1, while Norris was slower through the “mini snake” and the approach to Turn 5.
Sector 2 was very balanced: Verstappen had higher top speeds, but the McLaren was strong on exit from the Turn 7–8 chicane, showing better traction on the following straight and effectively equalising the sector time. In Sector 3, Norris started very well at Turn 9 but braked a bit too early at Turn 12, losing more than a tenth and a half. McLaren’s strength, however, emerged again in the final part of the lap, with the British driver recovering the entire gap and crossing the line eight thousandths ahead.
Race pace: excellent work from Max
In terms of race pace simulations, it is worth pointing out that Norris has not yet used any set of hard tyres, unlike Verstappen and Charles Leclerc. Red Bull completed an impressive long stint of 13 laps with excellent times, confirming that the team’s focus was already heavily on race optimisation. Norris, on the other hand, completed only five laps, averaging roughly three tenths slower.
Kimi Antonelli also produced a long and consistent stint, though not at Verstappen’s level. Meanwhile, Leclerc’s short three-lap run featured times similar to the end of Verstappen’s stint, but the Ferrari appeared very difficult to drive. This explains the Monégasque’s late-session radio message in which he said he “did not understand,” because although the lap times were not that poor, the driving sensations were clearly sub-optimal.
Initial impression: balance
Overall, the early impression is that the championship fight remains finely balanced. The performance levels of Red Bull and McLaren looked very similar, leaving all scenarios open. However, this is only the first free practice session, and there are still many kilometres to complete before the chequered flag of the 2025 season finale.
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