As it happened: 2024 Abu Dhabi GP first practice

This session has finished. No further updates will be posted.

First practice for the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is coming up next

No fewer than six practice drivers will take part in this session. Isack Hadjar replaces Max Verstappen, Ryo Hirakawa gets his first official F1 run in Oscar Piastri’s car, Felipe Drugovich is in for Lance Stroll, Luke Browning makes his debut in place of Alexander Albon, Ayumu Iwasa replaces Yuki Tsunoda – and Arthur Leclerc takes over Carlos Sainz Jnr’s car to drive alongside his brother Charles at Ferrari.

As usual at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix the first and third practice sessions take place in afternoon sunshine which means the track is usually quite a lot hotter than it is in the competitive sessions – qualifying and the grand prix – so tends not to give very representative car performance data.

Just one Leclerc running at the moment – Charles’ car is stuck in the garage with its floor off due to a technical problem.

There’s a problem for Verstappen’s car too – but it’s got Hadjar in it. He’s spun to a stop, then got going again. He isn’t working with Verstappen’s usual race engineer for this session.

George Russell sets the early pace with a 1’26.894, three hundredths of a second ahead of Kevin Magnussen.

Hadjar says “everything is fine with the car except the wheel clearance.” He seemed to have difficulty applying full lock when he spun.

Russell may be fastest but he’s not entirely happy with his car, complaining he’s having difficulty in the braking zone.

The stewards have noted Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris for a potential impeding incident.

Norris: “The radio is still shit compared to normal. Too much crackling and you’re not very clear.”

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Hamilton briefly makes it a Mercedes one-two, then Norris beats the pair of them with a 1’25.710.

Liam Lawson, who could be in his last weekend as an RB driver before moving to Red Bull if rumours are to be believed, is ninth so far. “I still feel like I’ve got poor efficiency on brakes,” he reports. “For me it’s turn five and turn six, so it can’t be wind.”

Williams have exceeded the maximum number of gearbox components on both their cars so Alexander Albon and Franco Colapinto will have grid penalties on Sunday.

Hamilton goes quickest with a 1’25.566 which is just five thousandths of a second quicker than Russell. Norris is third and Sergio Perez is up in fourth. Colapinto a strong fifth so far for Williams.

“The Williams destroyed me in the chicane,” complains Hadjar, who is irritated by his Formula 2 rival Luke Browning.

We finally have both Leclerc drivers circulating as Charles has made it out of the pits to join his brother on the track.

Russell: Whatever it is I’m not liking these brakes. Even coming into the box I’m not feeling the normal deceleration.”

Race control say Browning has been shown the black-and-white flag, which is unsporting conduct. It’s not clear why yet.

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Norris is down to a 1’24.542 at the top of the times. Hirakawa in the other car hasn’t done a particularly representative time yet, he’s 19th on a 1’27.354.

Charles Leclerc jumps up to the top of the times with a 1’34.321.

Pierre Gasly has been noted for failing to slow for a single yellow flag.

Good news for Gasly – he’s not under investigation. He’s fifth fastest at the moment, a second off the pace.

The chequered flag falls with Charles Leclerc fastest on a 1’24.231, two-tenths up on Lando Norris, followed by the Mercedes pair and Gasly. Of the rookies, Drugovich is ninth – three hundredths of a second faster than Fernando Alonso – Hirakawa 14th, Hadjar 15th, Iwasa 16th, Arthur Leclerc 18th and Browning 20th.

That concludes our coverage of first practice – here’s the full report and times