Lewis Hamilton took the early advantage by topping the times ahead of his Mercedes-GP teammate and world championship leader Nico Rosberg in Friday’s opening practice ahead of this weekend’s title-deciding Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
The defending three-time world champion clocked a best lap time of one minute and 42.869 seconds to outpace Rosberg by 0.374 seconds at the Yas Marina circuit in the UAE capital.
Dutch teenager Max Verstappen was third ahead of his Red Bull Racing teammate Daniel Ricciardo, the pair just four-tenths of a second off the pace and only one-tenth behind Rosberg.
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German Rosberg, 31, needs only to claim a podium finish in Sunday’s race to clinch his first drivers world title. He leads Hamilton by 12 points ahead of the 21st and final race of the season.
Briton Hamilton can take the title if he wins the race and Rosberg fails to take a podium finish.
German Sebastian Vettel was fifth fastest for Ferrari, 1.1 seconds adrift of the leading pace, ahead of Mexican Sergio Perez of Force India, Finn Kimi Raikkonen in the second Ferrari, Mexican Carlos Sainz of Toro Rosso, retirement-bound Brazilian Felipe Massa of Williams and Swede Marcus Ericsson of Sauber.
The session featured few incidents, but Russian Daniel Kvyatt suffered a puncture on his Toro Rosso car and Frenchman Romain Grosjean struggled with his Haas and spun off the circuit before recovering.
The second session due to be run later Friday will be in cooler conditions as the sun goes down over the spectacular venue.
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FIRST PRACTICE TIMES
1. Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Mercedes-GP: 1.42.869
2. Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes-GP: 1.43.243
3. Max Verstappen (Netherlands) Red Bull Racing: 1.43.297
4. Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Red Bull Racing: 1.43.362
5. Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Ferrari: 1.44.005
6. Sergio Perez (Mexico) Force India: 1.44.155
7. Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Ferrari: 1.44.556
8. Carlos Sainz Jr (Spain) Toro Rosso: 1.44.685
9. Felipe Massa (Brazil) Williams: 1.45.039
10. Marcus Ericsson (Sweden) Sauber: 1.45.168
11. Alfonso Celis (Mexico) Force India: 1.45.476
12. Romain Grosjean (France) Haas: 1.45.600
13. Felipe Nasr (Brazil) Sauber: 1.45.778
14. Esteban Gutierrez (Mexico) Haas: 1.45.925
15. Valtteri Bottas (Finland) Williams: 1.45.940
16. Jolyon Palmer (Britain) Renault: 1.46.219
17. Kevin Magnussen (Denmark) Renault: 1.46.372
18. Fernando Alonso (Spain) McLaren: 1.46.379
19. Pascal Wehrlein (Germany) Manor: 1.46.458
20. Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren: 1.47.127
21. Jordan King (Britain) Manor: 1.47.558
22. Daniil Kvyat (Russia) Toro Rosso: 2.01.989
* Agence France-Presse
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