Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton and George Russell quickest again at Abu Dhabi Grand Prix first practice session
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Published 18/11/2022 at 11:50 GMT
The last Grand Prix of the season might draw most attention due to the row that continues to engulf Red Bull drivers Max Vertappen and Sergio Perez, but on the track there was more success for Mercedes. Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton was quickest, and last weekend's victor George Russell was second fastest on a track that wa the setting for the 2021 season's controversial finale.
Hamilton positive about next season after Mercedes' one-two finish in Brazil
Mercedes duo Lewis Hamilton and George Russell continued their good form with a one-two at the first practice session for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Friday.
Russell led the way in their race lockout last weekend, and they look able to press for more success in the last race of the season
Hamilton put down a time of 1:26.633, with teammate Russell a fifth of a second behind.
Charles Leclerc was third, with Sergio Perez fourth and Liam Lawson - sitting in for Red Bull - fifth.
Verstappen’s absence comes amid a row that broke out between Perez and Verstsappen last weekend and has continued to rumble on in interviews and with social media interventions from family members. There has also been an outcry from fans, with Verstappen and his team hitting out on abuse from those online.
The Austrian team has announced that Verstappen was not adequately informed of team orders to allow Perez past last weekend, something that would have aided his bid for second place in the drivers’ championship, but the team will head into the break with a problem to resolve between the teammates.
The team released a statement on Thursday, stating: “As a team we made some mistakes in Brazil. We had not envisaged the situation that unfolded on the last lap and we had not agreed a strategy for such a scenario before the race,” they said.
“Regretfully, Max was only informed at the final corner of the request to give up position without all the necessary information being relayed. This put Max, who has always been an open and fair team player, in a compromising situation with little time to react which was not our intention.”
While it is the last race of the season, it is also the last Grand Prix of Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel’s season, and the British team hung his childhood race suit up in their garage in tribute to the German former world champion.
Seventh quickest was Carlos Sainz’s temporary stand-in, Robert Shwartzman, and outgoing McLaren driver Daniel Ricciardo was eighth quickest.
Valtteri Bottas (Alfa Romeo) and Alex Albon (Williams) were in ninth and tenth respectively.
FP2 begins later on Friday afternoon ahead of Saturday’s qualifying session.
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