Russell Tops Abu Dhabi GP FP3, Hamilton Crashes

George Russell led the final practice session for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, narrowly beating Lando Norris by just four thousandths of a second. The session was marked by incidents, including a red flag caused by Lewis Hamilton's crash and an unsafe release involving Kimi Antonelli and Yuki Tsunoda.

Why it matters:

The tight margins at the top, particularly between Russell and Norris, suggest a highly competitive qualifying session and potentially the race. Mercedes' strong showing, despite Hamilton's incident, indicates they could be a force this weekend. Incidents like Hamilton's crash and the unsafe release highlight the intense pressure and the fine line between pushing limits and making critical errors, which can significantly impact a team's performance and driver standings.

The details:

• Russell's Dominance: George Russell set the fastest lap of 1m23.334s, showcasing Mercedes' strong pace. This performance positions him as a strong contender for pole position in qualifying.
• Tight Margins: Lando Norris was just +0.004s behind Russell, indicating McLaren's competitive edge. Max Verstappen secured third, +0.124s off the pace, with Fernando Alonso and Oscar Piastri completing the top five.
• Haas's Surprise Performance: Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman of Haas impressively secured sixth and seventh places, respectively, demonstrating unexpected pace for the team.
• Notable Incidents:
  • Lewis Hamilton's Crash: Hamilton spun and crashed at Turn 9, triggering a red flag and limiting his lap count. He finished 18th, over a second slower than Russell.
  • Unsafe Release: Kimi Antonelli was involved in an unsafe release incident with Yuki Tsunoda, forcing Tsunoda to sit out the latter part of the session and finish last.
  • Near Miss: Earlier in the session, Tsunoda was also involved in a near-miss with Lando Norris, highlighting the challenging conditions and high-stakes environment.
• Top 10 Completers: Charles Leclerc, Kimi Antonelli, and Alex Albon rounded out the top ten, indicating a diverse field of teams showing strong performance in practice.

What's next:

With qualifying scheduled for 6 pm local time, teams will be reviewing data meticulously to fine-tune their strategies. The narrow gaps between the frontrunners, combined with the incidents from FP3, suggest that qualifying will be a thrilling battle for pole position. The ability of teams like Mercedes and McLaren to manage their performance and avoid errors will be critical in securing a strong grid position for the final race of the season.