Charles Leclerc claimed the fastest time in Abu Dhabi's first practice session but faces a 10-place grid penalty due to a necessary battery replacement in his Ferrari. The installation of a third battery – exceeding the season's limit – delayed his start by 30 minutes.

Despite the late start, Leclerc posted a impressive time of 1m24.321s on soft tires, outpacing Lando Norris by 0.221s. He managed to complete 19 laps, including crucial long-run data collection on soft tires.

Key session highlights:

• Lando Norris secured second place
• Lewis Hamilton finished third, 0.485s behind Leclerc
• Six rookie drivers participated in the session
• Arthur Leclerc made history alongside brother Charles as the first siblings to enter an official session as teammates

Mercedes showed promising pace with Hamilton in third and Russell in fourth, though Hamilton faces a potential penalty for impeding Norris. Pierre Gasly rounded out the top five for Alpine, while Nico Hulkenberg placed sixth for Haas.

Franco Colapinto, running seventh, also faces a five-place grid penalty due to a new gearbox installation. The session featured strong performances from rookies, with Felipe Drugovich leading the newcomers in ninth position.

The practice session, while taking place in unrepresentative daytime conditions for the twilight race, provided valuable data for teams heading into the season's final weekend, particularly for Ferrari in their constructors' championship battle.

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