Lando Norris stole an early advantage in Formula One’s hotly-anticipated season finale by dominating practice at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Norris, who will secure his maiden world championship if he finishes at least third in Sunday’s 58-lap race, saw off title rival Max Verstappen by a commanding 0.363 seconds under the lights of the Yas Marina Circuit.
Norris’ McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri, the other championship contender, could manage only 11th.
Norris is on the brink of being crowned world champion but faces intense competition from Red Bull’s Verstappen, who is 12 points behind him. Piastri also remains in the battle, albeit four points back.
Yet it was Norris, bidding to become the 11th British driver to take motor racing’s biggest prize, who led the way in both sessions on Friday.
Norris beat Verstappen to top spot by just eight thousandths of a second in the first running before extending his advantage to nearly four tenths by the day’s close with a statement lap.
It will go some way to settling the nerves for the 26-year-old, who admitted heading into the decider that he has the most to lose.
Verstappen bemoaned the handling of a Red Bull which has carried him to five victories in eight appearances.
“I think something is broken on the car,” reported Verstappen in the first session.
“Where are the main areas of issue?,” his race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, asked.
“It is everywhere now,” replied the Dutchman.
Piastri once held a 34-point title championship lead. However, he heads into Sunday’s race as a rank outsider and facing the prospect of playing second fiddle to Norris.
Piastri was replaced by Pato O’Ward, among nine rookie drivers in mandatory action, for the first session, and then struggled for speed when he hit the track, locking up at turn six on his quickest lap and failing to improve on a time which left him nearly seven tenths behind Norris.
Away from the title battle, Mercedes are looking to cement second in the constructors’ championship and George Russell took third spot for the Silver Arrows, one place ahead of Ollie Bearman who impressed for Haas.
Lewis Hamilton is ready to draw the curtain on his nightmare first season for Ferrari. He finished only 14th, 0.856secs off the pace.
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