George Russell topped first practice at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix ahead of Aston Martin reserve driver Felipe Drugovich.
Russell used a set of softs to lead the unrepresentative daytime session ahead of the night-time grand prix with a time of 1m26.072s. It was a smooth end after a troubled start to the hour for the Briton, whose first run was curtailed by a loose helmet and his subsequent laps frustrated by steering issues through the Yas Marina Circuit’s many slow-speed turns.
Drugovich was unexpectedly his closest rival, lapping 0.288s adrift in Fernando Alonso’s car, having taken Lance Stroll’s seat for his first F1 appearance in Mexico last month.
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The Brazilian 2022 Formula 2 champion was one of 10 stand-in drivers in the field, with nine of the 10 teams needing to satisfy regulations requiring them to devote at least two practice sessions to rookie or inexperienced drivers this season.
Only AlphaTauri had already satisfied the rule ahead of the weekend, while Red Bull Racing had both full-time drivers out of the car for one of the year’s least critical practice sessions.
Daniel Ricciardo was third for AlphaTauri, 0.361s adrift. Valtteri Bottas following 0.02s further back, while Stroll made it two Aston Martin cars in the top five, although the Canadian was 0.599s off the pace. Stroll could be at risk of a post-session investigation for blocking Red Bull Racing stand-in Isack Hadjar late in the session
Oscar Piastri was also aggrieved by slow drivers on the racing line, having had to take evasive action to avoid a crash with Carlos Sainz in an incident McLaren suggested was dangerous. Piastri and Sainz finished sixth and seventh, with Ferrari reserve driver Robert Shwartzman eighth and just 0.027s behind his full-time teammate.
Pierre Gasly was ninth quickest ahead of Yuki Tsunoda, who completed the top 10 at 0.653s adrift.
Logan Sargeant finished 11th but will see the stewards after the session for blocking Alpine reserve driver Jack Doohan on a hot lap. Sargeant was moving slowly while adjusting some setting on his steering wheel between the last two corners when Doohan suddenly appeared in his mirrors.
Sargeant veered right, to the inside of the track, just as Doohan did likewise in an attempt to avoid a crash. The Australian had to dive deeper still, almost into pit lane, to avoid what he said would have been “the biggest accident of my life.”
Whoa! 🫣
A mighty close call between Jack Doohan and Logan Sargeant in FP1 😰#F1 #AbuDhabiGP pic.twitter.com/4rJrz8alCc
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 24, 2023
Doohan was 13th, just behind Mercedes reserve Frederik Vesti and ahead of F2 title leader Theo Pourchaire, who enjoyed a largely clean session after completing just four laps with brake problems in his first practice outing this season in Mexico.
IndyCar star and 2024 McLaren reserve driver Pato O’Ward was 15th, having survived a big snap of oversteer exiting the final corner early in his run, the wild moment warning other drivers of a tailwind through the turn. He finished ahead Formula E champion Jake Dennis and Hadjar, both Red Bull juniors taking over from Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez.
Williams Formula 3 runner-up Zak O’Sullivan was 18th ahead of Haas duo Kevin Magnussen and Oliver Bearman, the latter a Ferrari junior currently sixth in the Formula 2 standings.
