Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc led the field during the first practice session for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, getting the better of Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton while six young drivers made their mark on track.
The Monegasque, who was able to share the Yas Marina Circuit with his younger brother Arthur Leclerc for the first time, clocked a rapid time of 1m 24.321s to clear his nearest rival Norris by over two-tenths of a second.
FP1: Leclerc sets the pace during first practice in Abu Dhabi as several rookies join the action
Mercedes also looked strong as George Russell slotted into P4 ahead of Pierre Gasly, Nico Hulkenberg and Franco Colapinto in the straightforward session.
Among the young drivers taking part in the session, Aston Martin's Felipe Drugovich led the way in ninth, 1.150s off Leclerc's pace – further down the order, Ryo Hirakawa was marginally quicker than Isack Hadjar down in P14.
Click go on the video player above to relive the action from FP1 in Abu Dhabi.
Next Up
Related Articles
/EXCLUSIVEINTERVIEWADHOC%20FEATURE%20V4%20DISPLAY%20(2).webp)
ExclusiveLawson examines factors behind his impressive 2026 so far
UnlockedJACQUES: 5 young drivers we should be paying attention to
ExclusiveWhy Vowles is convinced ‘it will all come good’ at Williams
The 2026 Qualifying and race head-to-heads so far
UnlockedF1 UNLOCKED: WIN A PUMA x F1 FOOTBALL JERSEY
Antonelli opens up on impact of 2025 struggles