Norris leads Abu Dhabi FP2 at the end of the first fully representative session of the title decider, beating Max Verstappen by 0.363s under the lights at Yas Marina while Oscar Piastri could manage only P11. It was the clearest sign yet that McLaren have arrived in Abu Dhabi with serious pace, but also that their two title contenders are not starting this fight from the same footing.
After a rookie heavy FP1, the field returned to something closer to normal for FP2. Temperatures dropped, grip came up and the three championship rivals finally shared the track at the same time in conditions that actually matter for qualifying and the race.
Norris stamps authority on the first proper session
Norris did exactly what any title leader would want to do on a Friday night: go fastest in the session that counts most. His 1:23.083 on the soft tyres put him comfortably clear of Verstappen and a fraction ahead of George Russell, who slotted into third for Mercedes.
It was not a perfect hour. Early on, Norris had a near miss with Verstappen at Turn 1 when the Red Bull finished a lap just as the McLaren started a push run.
“What’s this guy doing? I almost crashed,” Norris complained on the radio.
The stewards looked at it, decided no further action was needed, and Norris simply reset and delivered when it mattered on his qualifying simulation. Topping both FP1 and FP2 gives him something precious in a title showdown: a sense that the weekend is still firmly in his hands.
Verstappen close, but not comfortable yet
On paper, P2 and three tenths off is hardly a disaster for Verstappen. He looked solid on the softs, briefly held the top spot with a 1:23.446 and then switched early to long runs as Red Bull focused on race pace and tyre behaviour.
There were still echoes of his Qatar frustration though. Late in the session he reported more bouncing and had a small snap at high speed, correcting it with typical ease but underlining that the RB21 is not quite effortless to drive around Yas Marina.
Red Bull are famously strong at finding time overnight. If this is their baseline on Friday, Verstappen is still very much in the fight for pole and for a result that could flip the title picture on Sunday.
Piastri on the back foot after missing FP1
The biggest story on the McLaren side was not just Norris on top. It was Piastri down in P11.
The Australian came back into the car for FP2 after giving FP1 to Pato O’Ward, and his evening never really flowed. A scruffy first push lap on the softs, including a mistake into Turn 1, left him almost seven tenths off his team mate. A later lock up into Turn 6 flat spotted his tyres and ended any chance of a clean second attempt.
With just one representative session to work with, Piastri now heads into Saturday playing catch up on both balance and confidence.
He often builds into weekends, and his qualifying record this year has been strong, but compared with Norris and Verstappen he starts Abu Dhabi Saturday with less data and more questions to answer.
Bearman and Hulkenberg light up the midfield
Behind the headline names, FP2 quietly hinted at a chaotic midfield that could shape the title fight through strategy and traffic.
- Ollie Bearman was outstanding for Haas in P4, just 0.418s off Norris
- Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto put both Kick Saubers inside the top six
Bearman sounded almost surprised over the radio.
“Mate, the car is insane. I don’t know how it is so good.”
If that pace carries into qualifying, Haas and Sauber could easily place cars between the title contenders in Q3 or compromise their tyre choices and pit windows on Sunday.
Isack Hadjar continued his strong form in seventh for Racing Bulls, ahead of Charles Leclerc, Fernando Alonso and Kimi Antonelli. That left Piastri as the first car outside the top ten, not where a title outsider wants to be at the end of Friday.
Mixed fortunes for Ferrari, Mercedes and Williams
Ferrari’s day was a tale of two very familiar themes. Leclerc’s one lap speed looked respectable again, with P8 in FP2 and a tidy qualifying run. Long run pace and consistency were more of a concern, and his feedback over the radio across both sessions suggested that the car is still not giving him the grip or predictability he wants.
Lewis Hamilton’s Friday was tougher. The five time Abu Dhabi winner ran wide late in FP2, finished only P14 and ended the day several tenths behind his team mate as his first Ferrari season drifted toward a podium free finish.
Mercedes, by contrast, looked encouraged. Russell’s P3 and Antonelli’s P10 underline that the W15 could be a genuine factor in both qualifying and the race. If they insert themselves between the McLarens and Red Bulls, the title maths changes fast.
At Williams, Carlos Sainz produced another heart in mouth moment when he had a dramatic snap through the fast Turn 2 and 3 sequence, but saved the car and continued. Alex Albon reported possible engine problems that the team will need to diagnose before FP3.
What FP2 really tells us about the title fight
With representative temperatures, soft tyre qualifying sims and proper long runs, FP2 is the closest thing to a preview of Sunday. After this session, a few key points stand out:
- Norris leads Abu Dhabi FP2 and looks the most hooked up driver over one lap
- Verstappen is close enough that a Red Bull overnight gain could erase the gap
- Piastri has the most work to do and the least data after missing FP1
- The midfield is tight enough that any small mistake in qualifying could drop a title contender into heavy traffic
For now, Norris has done exactly what he needed on Friday. He has pace, a gap to his main rival on the timesheets and a team that clearly understands this circuit after last year’s win.
The flip side is obvious. If Verstappen finds a few tenths overnight and Piastri unlocks his usual qualifying form, Friday’s comfort can quickly turn into Saturday pressure.
The first day of the title showdown ends with McLaren on top and the number 4 car in control. The real fight begins when the lights come on for qualifying.
