Norris Dominates Abu Dhabi Friday Practice, Verstappen Second
Lando Norris continued his strong performance in Abu Dhabi, topping Friday's second practice session by a significant margin over Max Verstappen. While Norris demonstrated McLaren's strong pace, his teammate Oscar Piastri struggled, highlighting potential inconsistencies. This sets up a thrilling showdown as both McLaren and Red Bull fine-tune their strategies for qualifying and the race.
Lando Norris continued his strong form by topping the second free practice session for the 2025 FIA Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, outperforming title rival Max Verstappen by nearly four-tenths of a second. However, his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri struggled, managing only the 11th fastest time.
Why it matters:
- With the championship battle heating up, Norris's consistent pace in Abu Dhabi signals McLaren's strong challenge to Red Bull.
- The performance in FP2, held in similar conditions to qualifying and the race, offers crucial insights into potential race-day dynamics.
- Piastri's struggle for balance raises questions about McLaren's overall readiness, especially after missing FP1.
The details:
- The evening session saw a mix of Medium and Soft tires, with Haas driver Ollie Bearman initially setting the pace on Softs (1:24.744s).
- Red Bull's Max Verstappen eventually took the lead with a 1:23.446s lap on Soft tires, a tenth clear of Nico Hülkenberg.
- Norris's Dominance: Lando Norris then unleashed a 1:23.082s lap on Soft tires, putting him over three-tenths ahead of Verstappen.
- Verstappen subsequently switched to Medium tires for longer runs, indicating a focus on race pace rather than outright single-lap speed.
- Surprise Performances: George Russell secured third for Mercedes, followed by Ollie Bearman in an "insanely good" Haas car.
- Sauber's Nico Hülkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto impressively rounded out the top six, showcasing strong pace.
- Piastri's Woes: Oscar Piastri, having missed FP1 due to Pato O'Ward's mandatory run, struggled significantly to find a comfortable balance, finishing 0.68s off Norris's pace in P11.
What's next:
Norris's back-to-back quickest times in Friday practice position him as a strong contender for pole and the race win. However, Verstappen's focus on long runs suggests Red Bull may be holding back ultimate pace for race day. Piastri will need to quickly find his rhythm to support McLaren's championship aspirations. Saturday's qualifying will provide a clearer picture of the pecking order for the crucial final race of the season.