Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Friday practice review

Alex Kalinauckas and Ben Hunt continue their coverage of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix as they review the two practice sessions that kickstarted proceedings on Friday

The duo discuss the war of words that have dominated headlines so far this weekend, with Red Bull team principal Christian Horner responding to claims from Mercedes boss Toto Wolff that he is a “yapping little terrier”.

This came after their drivers Max Verstappen (Red Bull) and George Russell (Mercedes) had a high-profile spat, as the four-time world champion felt the Briton went overboard in attempting to land him a penalty for impeding during qualifying for last weekend’s Qatar GP.

The battle for the constructors’ championship is also discussed, where McLaren leads second-placed Ferrari by 21 points. Alex reviews the long-run averages and why it is advantage McLaren after a 1-2 in FP2, while Charles Leclerc has a 10-place grid drop for Sunday’s grand prix due to a new battery. 

Sergio Perez’s future is also discussed following an underwhelming season for the Red Bull driver with Isack Hadjar, a member of the junior squad, fighting for the F2 crown this weekend having driven for the team in FP1.