Abu Dhabi – EL2: Hamilton gives Verstappen the lead

After Max Verstappen (Red Bull) this Friday morning, Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) takes the lead in FP2, with more than three tenths ahead of his first pursuers. For what was to be the most representative session of the weekend, since the only one in racing condition, most of the drivers worked on their long stints, without really showing any qualifying pace. The Briton is the only driver on the grid to go under the 26 minute mark, on this new Yas Marina track.

Hamilton in the lead, Alpine shows himself

From the first minutes of the session, the Mercedes set the tone for what was to follow for almost an hour. A domination without real competition, as a response for Hamilton to Verstappen's best time earlier in the day. The first driver to pass the symbolic barrier of 1'26, Lewis Hamilton lined up all the sectors, before moving on to the part of the long stints, always more complicated to decipher in order to establish the balance of power.

Behind the seven-time world champion, we enjoyed seeing the performances ofAlpine, definitely in good shape at the end of the season. If Esteban Ocon, second, set his best time on soft compounds unlike Mercedes, the pace displayed by the French team's cars is more than satisfactory. Never far from his teammate, Fernando Alonso ranks sixth.

If the session is certainly not revealing of the real performance of the single-seaters on the track, it is enough to look at the times of the Red Bulls, relegated to more than six tenths of the lead. A gap far too gaping to arouse the slightest concern in the ranks of the Austrian team. Faster than Lewis Hamilton this morning, Max Verstappen did not seem worried about being relegated so far, judging by his behavior on the track. The long relays quickly took over the qualifying laps, to conscientiously prepare for Sunday's race. Finally where everything will be decided for the two protagonists in the title.

The few modifications to the Yas Marina track could also reveal their share of surprises during the qualifying session tomorrow, or in the race on Sunday. Many drivers made mistakes during this first day of driving, exceeding the track limits, or even more, like Nicholas latifi (Williams) and Valtteri Bottas at the start of the session, brushing against the safety rails on their respective fast laps.

More impressive, the shock suffered by Kimi Raïkkönen (Alfa Romeo) at the very end of the session, at a slow pace of course, but causing the first red flag of the weekend. The Finn, who is preparing to bow out after the Grand Prix, did not spare his mechanics, hanging his front, then rear, during this strange track exit.

F1.com