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Abu Dhabi GP
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Abu Dhabi GP
2024 Formula 1 Abu Dhabi GP
Dec 5, 2024 to Dec 8, 2024
| Yas Marina Circuit-Abu Dhabi, AE
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Formula 1 Abu Dhabi GP
F1 Abu Dhabi GP Live Commentary and Updates - FP3
Minute-by-minute updates for FP3 for the 2024 Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
The F1 season reaches a climax in Abu Dhabi with McLaren and Ferrari set to battle it out for glory on the constructors' championship.
Off-track, a war of words between Max Verstappen and George Russell has stolen the spotlight from drivers, including Lewis Hamilton, who are either racing with teams for the last time or are making potentially their final appearance in the category.
Charles Leclerc topped first practice but picked up a 10-place grid penalty for a battery change, as Lando Norris headed a McLaren 1-2 in FP2.
Final practice gets under way at 10:30am GMT.
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Checkered flag
07:43:24 am
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With that, time for a quick breather before Abu Dhabi GP qualifying which starts at 2pm GMT. See you later!
Breaking news
07:41:24 am
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Here's the full report for FP3:
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07:35:33 am
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Practice starts are the final order of the session, as everyone trundles around to the starting grid to get their turn. No more practice in 2024, but the main events in Abu Dhabi are coming up next.
Checkered flag
07:31:31 am
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So, that's it for practice as the chequered flag comes out. Piastri heads the latest McLaren 1-2 from Hamilton, Verstappen, Sainz and Russell. A strong session for Haas with both cars in the top 10.
Oscar Piastri, McLaren MCL38
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
Stopwatch
07:29:51 am
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Hamilton is one of the few drivers to find a pace jump over the final laps of the session as he goes third fastest with a 1m23.823s, nipping just ahead of Verstappen. But nobody can get within striking distance of the McLaren pair.
07:27:57 am
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A couple of quick examples of drivers suffering with the soft tyres overheating into the final sector. Norris goes wide coming under the hotel section, while Magnussen has big slides out of the final three corners and loses so much lap time.
07:25:15 am
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With Russell fifth, a nod to the Haas pair with Hulkenberg sixth and Magnussen seventh, ahead of Hamilton and Leclerc. Meanwhile Perez is still struggling, currently down in 14th and losing six-tenths to his team-mate over a push lap.
07:23:15 am
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What can Ferrari produce? Sainz goes fourth fastest but Leclerc can only manage ninth. Quiet encouragement for McLaren in the constructors' fight.
Quote
07:21:55 am
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"My brakes are not working, my front axle isn't biting. It's like they're glazing," Verstappen reports over team radio.
Stopwatch
07:20:46 am
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Norris goes second, nearly two-tenths off his team-mate, as Verstappen slots into third but over four-tenths of a second behind Piastri.
Stopwatch
07:19:24 am
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Piastri goes top with a 1m23.433s which is the fastest lap of the weekend so far.
Stopwatch
07:18:22 am
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Doohan shoots up to second place with a 1m24.434s, as the timing screen starts turning green and purple. Fast laps coming up.
Photo
07:17:32 am
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Sprinting in the sunshine...
Yuki Tsunoda, RB F1 Team VCARB 01
Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
Stopwatch
07:14:02 am
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Albon denies Magnussen a final F1 outing timesheet topper, as the Williams driver posts a 1m24.378s to go 0.092s quicker. But final qualifying simulations for everyone else are coming up, so expect this order to chop and change until the end of the session.
07:10:26 am
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Verstappen catches a snap of oversteer into Turn 5 which forces him to give up on that lap. Teams won't be chasing set-up solutions to these conditions given it will be cooler come qualifying. Just a case of living with it and getting the feel right in the context of the cooler conditions to come.
07:07:16 am
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Sainz and Verstappen, both on mediums, move up to second and third respectively but neither can topple Magnussen at the top.
07:05:15 am
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Stopwatch
07:04:14 am
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Russell says he has no answers to where is pace has gone in this session and has asked his Mercedes squad for help. The Brit posts a better lap this time around of 1m25.120s to go up to ninth place, but he is still a couple of tenths off Hamilton.
07:02:30 am
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Sainz has a smoky Ferrari but there is no sign of concern from the Spanish driver or the team as he continues on.
07:01:41 am
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Impressive pace straight out of the box today from Haas, with Magnussen fastest and Hulkenberg third. The US squad is five points behind Alpine in the fight for sixth in the constructors', so it needs a decent points haul to beat the French squad but so far it is looking good.
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06:59:00 am
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"Not sure what's going on. Car feels OK, just very slow," Russell reports on team radio. Mercedes has suffered in hot conditions this year, and the track temperature has crept over 40C now.
06:55:57 am
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The "every dream needs a team" sticker has been taken off Hamilton's cockpit which was position right at the front and in his eyeline.
06:54:44 am
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The Dutch driver goes fifth on the times, half a second off the outright pace, which appears to be an encouraging start.
06:53:23 am
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Verstappen, who was struggling for balance throughout Friday, is out on the medium tyres. Has Red Bull's overnight sim and data churning found the solutions?
06:51:58 am
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Hamilton has asked for a sticker to be removed from inside his cockpit but it isn't totally clear which one. But the #44 sticker will be coming off that car at the end of the year regardless.
Stopwatch
06:50:25 am
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Magnussen takes over at the top with a 1m24.470s. Nearly all drivers are on the softs, including the Dane, but both RBs are on the hards while Hamilton and Sainz is on the mediums.
Stopwatch
06:47:59 am
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Stroll heads the times now, with a 1m25.528s, as a whole host of drivers take to the track for the first time today.
06:46:46 am
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Alonso, back out on the softs, has to take avoiding action from a swooping bird. Not sure that bird is long for this world if it thinks it can take on an F1 car.
Stopwatch
06:42:13 am
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Doohan goes fastest with a 1m25.633s, to go four-tenths quicker than Gasly.
Stopwatch
06:40:47 am
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Gasly posts a 1m26.040s for a first representative lap of the session. By the end of FP2 Norris posted a 1m23.517s, so plenty of time to find.
06:39:27 am
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Both Aston Martins pit after a lap on the mediums, while both Alpines have nipped out on the softs. That allows the F1 TV helicopter to follow Gasly around for a lap and take in the harbour scenery. Some lovely tupperware boats out there, as my Grandad would say.
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06:36:30 am
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"I think it's going to be a good day. I have a good feeling," Alonso says over team radio. Has someone had a word with him after his very downbeat comments over team radio yesterday?
06:35:22 am
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Both Alonso and Stroll duly pit for pitstop practice and switch to the medium tyres before getting going again. Still nobody else fancies it, but all the drivers are in their garages at least, just standing around doing nothing. The life of an F1 driver.
06:33:20 am
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The Aston Martin pair break the silence with an exploratory lap on the hard tyres, Alonso leading out his younger team-mate into the Abu Dhabi sunshine.
Lights green
06:30:23 am
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The green light shows at the end of the pitlane, so off we go!
06:29:58 am
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Some of the drivers have appeared in their garages but some are still missing. We're expecting a very sedate start to this session as is customary. No point burning through tyres in conditions that are not useful or relevant.
06:26:36 am
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Another minor update on the Verstappen vs Russell spat. It looks like they are best buddies once again after the GPDA end of season meeting... definitely not an awkward pose here... nope.
Sun
06:23:33 am
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So, McLaren is strongly tagged as the favourite this weekend, while Norris himself has played it down. All will become clear over the next few hours, but probably not in this next hour given teams will keep their powder dry in the unrepresentative FP3. It is sunny and warm with air temperature up at 28C and the track at 41.2C - not conditions expected for qualifying and the race.
Nico Hulkenberg, Haas VF-24
Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
Breaking news
06:19:04 am
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Let's quickly wrap up the talking points since Friday's running, starting with who is looking quick and who is looking... less quick. Because you cannot call an F1 car slow. Anyway, here's how the Abu Dhabi GP picture is shaping up.
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Green flag
06:16:58 am
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Hello one and all! The final non-competitive session for the 2024 season has arrive - I know, so sad - with final practice at the Abu Dhabi GP coming up in just under 15 minutes.
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By: Haydn Cobb
Published: Dec 7, 2024, 11:43 AM
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