There was no method that the constructors’ championship may very well be selected the opening day of observe for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. No factors on provide, no aggressive session that may immediately have an effect on something for Sunday’s grand prix.
However on the finish of the twenty fourth Friday of the 2024 season, it was onerous to not really feel as if Ferrari’s tough prospects of someway overcoming a 21 level deficit within the constructors’ championship have been now wanting even slimmer.
On the finish of the second hour of observe of the day, McLaren backed up their benefit within the standings with an obvious benefit on the monitor. Lando Norris set the very best time of the day with a time solely group mate Oscar Piastri might get near, whereas Ferrari have been greater than half a second slower with each Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jnr.
And whereas Leclerc was battling meals poisoning he additionally needed to abdomen one thing a lot worse – a ten-place grid penalty for Sunday’s grand prix after Ferrari confirmed that he must take his third vitality retailer of the season to make it by means of the ultimate weekend of the yr. Having gone 23 rounds with out exceeding his energy unit allowance, now he could be hit by a penalty on the worst attainable time.
Leclerc due to this fact faces an exceptionally robust activity to achieve the sorts of excessive points-scoring positions the group wants from him to beat McLaren for his or her first constructors’ championship since 2008. To not point out overhauling the 2 MCL38s.
“The McLarens appear to be faster, sadly,” Leclerc admitted on the finish of he day. “So for now, they’ve received the higher hand.
“We all know that it might probably swing by hook or by crook in a short time and we’ve received to remain on high of every thing. It gained’t be completed till the very finish. As we’ve seen, sadly, at the moment on our aspect, we’ve had an issue. I’m not wishing an issue to anyone else, we’ll simply deal with ourselves and attempt to do an incredible restoration on Sunday.”
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On McLaren’s aspect, it was onerous to see how Friday might have gone any higher. Not solely did they be taught their nearest rivals could be combating with one hand tied behind their again, each of their drivers have been quickest in the one true consultant session of the day. However in typical Norris trend, the quickest driver of the day was fast to be cautious about McLaren’s prospects for the remainder of the weekend.
“The automobile’s been feeling good the entire day,” Norris stated. “Continued our tempo out of Qatar and really feel robust.
“I feel we have now a couple of issues to enhance on, in each high and low gasoline – in all probability extra so on excessive gasoline. It in all probability seems to be higher than it’s. I don’t assume the others turned up their engines it. So it would look wonderful for now, however I feel we’re nonetheless going to have a troublesome combat tomorrow.”
With every of the highest 4 groups utilizing the medium compound tyres for his or her lengthy runs in the identical sundown situations that Sunday’s race will happen in, the lap instances from the top of the second session present helpful snapshots of every group’s efficiency at this stage of the weekend.
Of the eight drivers from the 4 high groups, Piastri and Norris had the quickest common lap instances throughout their high-fuel stints, each within the 1’29.6s. Leclerc was, on common, three tenths per lap slower than the McLarens, with group mate Sainz an extra two tenths again.
The Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell lapped at an analogous tempo to Leclerc, with Max Verstappen nearer to Sainz than he was to the McLarens. However Sergio Perez was the closest driver within the lengthy runs to Piastri and Norris, suggesting that Crimson Bull have considerably extra tempo than Verstappen demonstrated in his sole observe session of the day.
“I’m certain that we are able to do higher,” was Verstappen’s abstract after one more Friday the place he was sad with the steadiness of his Crimson Bull. “I’m not saying that we’ll at McLaren’s stage, as a result of they appear very fast thus far this weekend, however no less than if we are able to combat in that high six that shall be restoration. As a result of, thus far, it’s been fairly difficult.”
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Heading into the ultimate qualifying Saturday of the season, Russell is seeking to take a hat trick of pole positions on this remaining double header. However though the Mercedes has seemed stronger on the finish of the season than most instances by means of the yr, Russell doesn’t count on anybody to beat the McLarens, it doesn’t matter what they could have been holding again on Friday.
“I feel nonetheless as a group, we’re a great distance off McLaren and Ferrari,” Russell stated. “McLaren particularly appear to be in a league of their very own for the time being.
“Lewis did a terrific job, however we’re nonetheless 4 tenths behind the McLaren, in order that’s greater than we normally count on. So I count on Ferrari to in all probability get again within the combine, Max in all probability to get again within the combine, however I hope we are able to make some enhancements for tomorrow.”
However with McLaren with the higher hand within the championship, over the quick runs and seemingly in high-fuel too, it’s little marvel Piastri was feeling fairly constructive about his group’s possibilities heading into the remainder of the weekend.
“I feel the tempo at the moment has been very robust, so that may solely provide you with confidence, I’d say,” Piastri stated. “Tomorrow is clearly a really totally different day and I’m certain the others will discover their ft a bit extra. However I feel contemplating I did one session, I’m proud of the day’s work. So hopefully we are able to proceed that.”
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Mixed observe instances
| P. | # | Driver | Workforce | FP1 time | FP2 time | Hole | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren-Mercedes | 1’24.542 | 1’23.517 | 25 | |
| 2 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren-Mercedes | 1’23.751 | 0.234 | 28 | |
| 3 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Haas-Ferrari | 1’25.373 | 1’23.979 | 0.462 | 28 |
| 4 | 55 | Carlos Sainz Jnr | Ferrari | 1’24.099 | 0.582 | 28 | |
| 5 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1’24.806 | 1’24.119 | 0.602 | 28 |
| 6 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1’24.321 | 1’24.201 | 0.684 | 28 |
| 7 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Sauber-Ferrari | 1’25.611 | 1’24.230 | 0.713 | 24 |
| 8 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas-Ferrari | 1’25.444 | 1’24.235 | 0.718 | 25 |
| 9 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams-Mercedes | 1’24.269 | 0.752 | 22 | |
| 10 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | RB-Honda RBPT | 1’24.497 | 0.980 | 28 | |
| 11 | 30 | Liam Lawson | RB-Honda RBPT | 1’25.563 | 1’24.503 | 0.986 | 25 |
| 12 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine-Renault | 1’25.333 | 1’24.517 | 1.000 | 27 |
| 13 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1’25.165 | 1’24.534 | 1.017 | 24 |
| 14 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Crimson Bull-Honda RBPT | 1’25.483 | 1’24.555 | 1.038 | 27 |
| 15 | 24 | Zhou Guanyu | Sauber-Ferrari | 1’25.921 | 1’24.557 | 1.040 | 23 |
| 16 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin-Mercedes | 1’25.504 | 1’24.574 | 1.057 | 25 |
| 17 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Crimson Bull-Honda RBPT | 1’24.598 | 1.081 | 26 | |
| 18 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin-Mercedes | 1’24.686 | 1.169 | 29 | |
| 19 | 61 | Jack Doohan | Alpine-Renault | 1’26.304 | 1’24.961 | 1.444 | 27 |
| 20 | 43 | Franco Colapinto | Williams-Mercedes | 1’25.382 | 1’25.265 | 1.748 | 10 |
| 21 | 34 | Felipe Drugovich | Aston Martin-Mercedes | 1’25.471 | 1.954 | 0 | |
| 22 | 37 | Isack Hadjar | Crimson Bull-Honda RBPT | 1’25.877 | 2.360 | 0 | |
| 23 | 40 | Ayumu Iwasa | RB-Honda RBPT | 1’26.121 | 2.604 | 0 | |
| 24 | 39 | Arthur Leclerc | Ferrari | 1’26.179 | 2.662 | 0 | |
| 25 | 46 | Luke Browning | Williams-Mercedes | 1’26.519 | 3.002 | 0 | |
| 26 | 28 | Ryo Hirakawa | McLaren-Mercedes | 1’27.354 | 3.837 | 0 |
Groups’ progress vs 2023
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