Norris surprises: Best time in the first training session in Abu Dhabi!

Norris surprises: Best time in the first training session in Abu Dhabi!

The first free practice session (FP1) took place in Abu Dhabi on December 5, 2025 and was marked by Lando Norris. The McLaren driver achieved the best time with a time of 1:24.485 and was only 0.008 seconds ahead of Red Bull driver Max Verstappen. Charles Leclerc from the Ferrari pits completed the first session in third place, but was already 0.016 seconds behind Norris.

A total of nine rookies were in action as Oscar Piastri was unable to take part in FP1 for McLaren. Instead, Patricio O'Ward took on the role of his teammate. This step was necessary because McLaren had to complete the last mandatory rookie campaign. Haas' Ryo Hirakawa was the best rookie of the session, finishing eleventh.

The course of the training sessions

Norris also showed his dominance in the second training session, where he again set the fastest time with a time of 1:23.083. Max Verstappen followed in second place, this time with a larger gap of 0.363 seconds. Despite various challenges, such as a spin by Leclerc in Turn 5 and technical problems for Oliver Bearman, who was able to return to the track after repairs, the session was productive overall.

Piastri, who failed to finish in the top ten in his first practice session in Abu Dhabi, was 6,680 seconds behind leader Norris. The teams are obliged to release two training sessions during the season for rookies who have fewer than two Grand Prix starts. This reflects the driving diversity of the current season, which brings several rookies onto the big Formula 1 stage.

The rookies at a glance

There are a total of six rookies active in the current season who have not yet completed a full season. The performance of rookies is always closely monitored. Among them are Sauber's Gabriel Bortoleto and Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli, with Antonelli standing out with 48 points and multiple top-10 finishes. In this tough competition, drives like those of Ryo Hirakawa and Oliver Bearman are also important, whose performances clearly set the expectations for new talent in Formula 1.

• Lando Norris: 1. Platz im FP1
• Max Verstappen: 2. Platz im FP1
• Charles Leclerc: 3. Platz im FP1, mit einem Dreher
• Ryo Hirakawa: Bester Rookie, 11. Platz im FP1
• Oscar Piastri: nicht im FP1, Platzierung im FP2 noch unklar

FP2 resumes at 5pm local time and all eyes will be on how the rookies and experienced riders fare in the second session. The competition remains exciting and full of surprises for the fans and the teams. Further information is available Laola1, Speed ​​Cafe and Motorsport magazine available.