Abu Dhabi GP will be the last race of the season as Formula 1 finally bids goodbye to the 2023 season. There is an impending battle waiting to happen for the second step of the season, and Mercedes and Ferrari are firing up their cars to get the most out of the race.
The driver and constructor championships were decided before the Abu Dhabi GP. Nothing beats watching these V6 beasts fly by Yas Marina’s blazing lights. Fans feel thrilled for Abu Dhabi GP following Free Practice 1 and 2.
Abu Dhabi GP FP1, FP2 results
The Free Practice 1 session couldn’t yield any significant results that could relate with the final race on Sunday, but the 10 rookies who got a chance to drive F1 cars in Free Practice definitely managed to shale the results a bit. The biggest surprise was Aston Martin’s Felipe Drugovich who was second fastest after George Russell in FP1. He was replacing Fernando Alonso to take part in Free Practice as a reserve driver of Aston Martin.
There was a scary incident between Jack Doohan in the Alpine of Esteban Ocon, as he almost crashed into the back of Williams’s Logan Sargeant. He described it as a scary moment claiming, that it could’ve been the biggest accident of his career.
Free Practice 2 was more normal as the drivers returned to original cars trying to understand the pace of their cars and get a better idea about Sunday’s race. This time again Charles Leclerc topped the sheets giving us another example of Ferrari’s improved pace. The session was red flag earlier on because of Carlos Sainz’s crash, although not as scary as his Las Vegas fiasco.
Big takeaways from Abu Dhabi GP free practice
Abu Dhabi GP is going to have an intense battle between the Silver Arrows and Scarlet Speedsters. Russell topped the sheets in FP1, and Charles Leclerc returned in FP2 to put his Ferrari on top. However, Mercedes has been disappointed for the past few races due to the low race pace of the car. Ferrari, on the other hand, is not able to capitalize during the race even after qualifying on pole.
The rookies were the biggest takeaway this weekend, proving their worth against much more experienced competitors and showing their mettle right from their first appearance. It is long known that the current roster of F2 rookies is one of the most talented batches waiting to make a significant impact in Formula 1 with their entry. It will be interesting to watch them compete in future seasons and enjoy the hard racing.
Felipe Drugovich ended up higher in Abu Dhabi GP FP1 than the much more experienced Lance Stroll, sparking a huge debate in the community. Do you think Stroll’s days in Formula 1 are numbered with the vast talent pool ahead?
