It was an intriguing practice day as drivers and teams prepared for Saturday’s final qualifying round of the season.
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates—Moving ever so closer to their first Constructor’s title in years, McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri placed one-two in the second practice session at the Yas Marina Circuit for Sunday evening’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The Woking, England-based team has not won a title since 1998, and they lead their closest rival, Ferrari, by 24 points.
Norris set the quickest time with a 1:24:333 ahead of his teammate. The biggest surprise came in third place with Nico Hulkenberg, driving his last race for the Haas F1 Team, which is battling for sixth place in the Constructor’s championship with both RB and Alpine.
Carlos Sainz was fourth in his last Friday practice for Ferrari before heading off to Williams, while Lewis Hamilton, heading off to Ferrari, was fifth in his Mercedes. Hamilton’s partner next year, Charles Leclerc, was sixth in his Ferrari. Leclerc, who had the best time in the opening session, suffered a ten-spot penalty because of a battery replacement.
Sauber driver Valtteri Bottas, perhaps racing in his final appearance in a Formula One car, placed a well-deserved seventh. Haas F1’s Kevin Magnussen took eighth, joining his teammate Hulkenberg in the top ten, which bolstered the team’s chances for a higher Constructor’s finish. Ninth was Alex Albon in the Williams, with RB’s Yuki Tsunoda rounding out the top ten.
While McLaren and Ferrari were finishing well up near the front, Red Bull Racing, who were out of the battle for the Constructor’s championship, had a bad day. Sergio Perez placed 14th, three spots higher than newly crowned world champion Max Verstappen, who complained about car handling issues.
ESPN2 will cover qualifying at 9:00 a.m., and ESPN will broadcast the season’s final race on Sunday at 8:00 a.m. Eastern.
