Oscar Piastri heads into the GP Abu Dhabi qualification with confidence after the third free practice. The McLaren driver proves to be the fastest in the session, ahead of teammate Lando Norris. Max Verstappen concludes the final training of the season in fourth place with Red Bull.
In the final free practice of the 2024 season, there is initially little action on the track. This is understandable. The conditions are different from what they will be during the qualification later in the day and during the race on Sunday. The third session takes place during the day and not in the evening, and it is warmer than it will be for the rest of the weekend.
The focus of this session is to fine-tune a few last things, especially to get a good feeling heading into the qualification. This is particularly true for McLaren and Ferrari, the two teams that will be battling for the constructor’s title in the final race of the year on Sunday. The Brits are the favorites in advance, with a lead of 21 points. And they remain the favorites even after the third free practice.
Friday’s Practice Sessions: Norris and Piastri Shine, Ferrari Struggles
On Friday, Lando Norris and Piastri quickly demonstrated their prowess in the lead-up to the qualification and race. The Australian proved to be the fastest driver in the third free practice, outpacing his English teammate. However, things were not going as smoothly for Ferrari. Charles Leclerc, who is already known to be facing a ten-place grid penalty, finished in a disappointing position. Carlos Sainz, who had to deal with a smoking car at the beginning of the session, ended the session in P9, even behind the fast Haas drivers Nico Hülkenberg and Kevin Magnussen this weekend.
Verstappen’s Performance in His Final Race of 2024 Remains to Be Seen
What the newly crowned four-time world champion Verstappen can do in his final race of 2024 remains to be seen. The RB20 did not perform well in the first two free practice sessions on Friday, leaving Verstappen and teammate Sergio Pérez searching for the right balance in Abu Dhabi. The car’s performance seemed to improve in the third free practice. On soft tires, this resulted in a fourth-place finish for Verstappen in the timesheet.
