First free practice in Abu Dhabi filled with ‘reserves,’ George Russell in front

First free practice in Abu Dhabi full of "reservations", George Russell in front

First free practice session of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the last round of the Formula 1 world championship, full of “third drivers”, but the best time was set by one of the two “starting” drivers of Mercedes, George Russell.

The Briton lapped in 1’26”360 ahead of Brazilian Felipe Drugovich, the third driver of the ’Aston Martin, by 288 thousandths and Daniel Ricciardo with the ’AlphaTauri by 361, fourth Valtteri Bottas with ‘Alfa Romeo, fifth Lance Stroll with the ’other Aston Martin.

Other starting drivers who took the track were Oscar Piastri, sixth with the McLaren, Carlos Sainz, seventh with the Ferrari, Pierre Gasly, ninth with the Alpine, Yuki Tsunoda, tenth with the second AlphaTauri, Logan Sargeant, eleventh with the Williams, and Kevin Magnussen, nineteenth with the Haas.

In Ferrari, Charles Leclerc è was replaced by Robert Shwartzman, ttavo, while neither of the two Red Bull starting drivers, Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez, è took to the track, and they were replaced by Britain’s Jack Dennis and France’s Isack Hadjar, 16th and dciassettesimo, Denmark’s Frederik Vesti, 12th, took the place of Lewis Hamilton in Mercedes, and Mexico’s Patricio O’Ward, 15th, of Lando Norris in McLaren. Everything will return to normal later in the second free practice session.