Overview

• George Russell topped the timesheets in the first practice for the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, with a time of 1 minute 26.072 seconds on soft tyres.
• Ten rookies replaced half of the regular Formula One field for the practice session, including Formula E champion Jake Dennis and French F2 driver Isack Hadjar.
• Red Bull's Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez, as well as Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton, sat out the session.
• The main battle in the season's final race is between Mercedes and Ferrari for second place, as both titles have already been won by Verstappen and Red Bull.
• Despite the afternoon heat during the practice session, the actual race will take place after dark.