George Russell Edges Out Lando Norris in Thrilling Final Practice at F1 Abu Dhabi GP

In an exhilarating final practice session at the Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, George Russell narrowly outperformed Lando Norris. The Mercedes driver clocked a time of 1m23.334s, just 0.004 seconds faster than Norris, who had been a frontrunner throughout the weekend. Max Verstappen, the reigning champion, completed the top three, finishing 0.180 seconds behind Russell.

Session Overview

The session took place on the final weekend of the 2025 season, where Lando Norris is in contention for his maiden title, holding a 12-point lead over Verstappen. Oscar Piastri, Norris’s teammate, is currently just four points behind Verstappen. The practice was impacted by a red flag and saw teams cautiously managing their tire usage due to unrepresentative track conditions.

Practice Session Highlights

• Initial laps were slow, with only the Alpine drivers setting competitive times early on.
• Norris set a leading lap time of 1m24.728s on soft tires as the session progressed.
• Track evolution was significant, leading to changing positions among competitors.
• Your top three finishers were:
  • 1. George Russell (Mercedes) – 1m23.334s
  • 2. Lando Norris (McLaren) – 0.004s behind
  • 3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 0.180s behind

Incidents and Red Flags

The session’s rhythm was interrupted when Lewis Hamilton collided with the Turn 9 barrier, bringing out the first red flag. Hamilton reported technical issues, stating, “something buckled at the front and snapped the rear.” After the session resumed, drivers rushed to complete their qualifying runs.

Concluding Remarks

In the tense final minutes, performance levels peaked. Russell’s final lap secured him the top position, while Norris continued to push hard but fell just short. Fernando Alonso surprised many by securing fourth, followed closely by Piastri. The session highlighted the competitive landscape leading into the race.

• Notable mentions in the top ten included:
  • 5. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
  • 6. Esteban Ocon (Haas)
  • 7. Oliver Bearman (Haas)
  • 8. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
  • 9. Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
  • 10. Alex Albon (Williams)

This final practice has set the stage for an exciting race day at Yas Marina, with contenders looking to secure vital championship points.