Lando Norris said there was “nothing to laugh about” despite a quick start heading into the title-clinching Abu Dhabi Grand Prix by leading both Friday’s practice sessions.
Norris, who could become world champion if he finishes on the podium this Sunday, set the fastest time in the second representative practice session by more than three tenths from Max Verstappen, but Oscar Piastri dropped back to 11th, 0.680 seconds behind his teammate.
Qualifying will take place on Saturday at 2pm (build-up from 1:15pm) on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports F1, and given the importance of track position, pole position will be crucial.
“Obviously, things are looking good at the moment, given the times. I still expect a little more from the car. I’m not completely satisfied, I’m not completely confident,” Norris said.
“I’m in the process of trying some different things and trying to figure out some things about the car, so I hope we can get more out of it overnight.”
“Certainly, it wasn’t a bad day. It was a positive day. But you always know you’re getting much closer to qualifying, so there’s nothing to laugh about yet.”
Verstappen says he’s “not fast enough yet” as Piastri aims for pole position
Max Verstappen has made it clear in the run-up to the title race that McLaren is likely to have the advantage in terms of pace, but he has “nothing to lose” in order to win the drivers’ championship for the fifth consecutive year.
Verstappen, who has not been at the front of the championship all season, was less vocal on the radio on Friday than at other events this year, but there is no certainty that Red Bull will be fast enough to take on McLaren at full pace.
“I was pretty happy with the car. It probably just needs to be a little faster. It’s not quite fast enough yet. Overall, for us, we’re in a decent range around here,” he said.
“It looks like we’ll have to close the gap quite a bit, but we’ll try to team up and put our best cars in front and see how far we can find them overnight. We need to be better at single laps and long runs.”
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Max Verstappen said his practice session was “so-so” but he wanted more pace from his Red Bull car ahead of qualifying for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Piastri missed first practice due to McLaren’s obligation to have rookies in both cars at least twice during the season and said he would find the most time for Saturday, but his chances of pole position were still “pretty good”.
The Australian said: “I arrived pretty well on the medium tyres, but with just the soft tires I couldn’t get the most out of the grip on the first lap. I found my feet but there are some things to improve for tomorrow, but it wasn’t too bad.”
“It’s the small details. The car is in a decent position. A few small adjustments, it felt like it wasn’t perfect, but nothing major. The car looked fast. I just need to do a few more laps and find my feet. Hopefully we’ll get there.”
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Sky Sports F1’s Martin Brundle talks about the main points from the first day of the Abu Dhabi GP
Sky Sports F1 Abu Dhabi GP Schedule
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Max Verstappen’s last title fight returns in 2021 against Lewis Hamilton, and relive one of the most incredible finishes in F1 history, when Verstappen overtook Hamilton on the final lap to claim his first world title.
Saturday, December 6th
10:15am: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Practice 3 (Session starts at 10:30am)*
12:10pm: F2 Sprint Race*
1:15pm: Abu Dhabi GP qualifying build-up*
2pm: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Qualifying*
4pm: Ted’s Qualification Notes*
Sunday, December 7th
9:10am: F2 Feature Race
11am: Grand Prix Sunday: Abu Dhabi GP Build-up*
1pm: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix*
3pm: Checkered flag: Abu Dhabi GP reaction*
4pm: Ted’s Notes
*Also held at Sky Sports Main Event
The 2025 F1 season will begin this weekend with the title-deciding Abu Dhabi Grand Prix being broadcast live on Sky Sports F1, with Sunday’s race ending at 1pm (meeting time starts at 11am). Stream Sky Sports now – cancel anytime with no contract
