The opening practice session for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix set the stage for an exciting weekend, with several debutants and rookies making their mark.

Among them was Jack Doohan, who was preparing for his first Grand Prix weekend with Alpine, while the Leclerc brothers, Charles and Arthur, both participated, making history as the first siblings to drive together for Ferrari.

The session saw some early troubles, with Isack Hadjar reporting issues with wheel clearance on his Red Bull, which led to a spin. Meanwhile, Charles Leclerc faced a delay in joining the action due to a battery issue with his Ferrari.

Early on, George Russell set the pace with a time of 1:25.9, ahead of Sergio Perez. As the session went on, Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris had an incident where they were noted for potentially impeding each other, which race control would review after the session. 

Meanwhile, Hadjar had more trouble, complaining that his lap had been ruined by traffic from a Williams ahead of him.

One of the big stories of the session was the Leclerc brothers, who were both on track at the same time. Charles, who had been stuck in the Ferrari garage for a while, finally joined Arthur on track, marking a historic moment.

As the session continued, Norris took the top spot with a 1:24.542, with Hamilton and Russell close behind. McLaren was especially focused on this weekend, as they were in the hunt for their first Constructors’ Championship since 1998.

In the final stages, Hamilton briefly moved to the top before Norris retook the lead. Then, with just 10 minutes remaining, Charles Leclerc bounced back from his earlier issue to post the fastest time of the session with a 1:24.321, putting him 0.221s ahead of Norris.

Hamilton finished third, followed by his teammate George Russell. Pierre Gasly completed the top five for Alpine, who is hoping to secure sixth place in the Constructors’ Championship this weekend.

While none of the rookies participating in the session was able to challenge the top drivers, each gained valuable experience ahead of future outings.

Arthur Leclerc, replacing Carlos Sainz at Ferrari, finished 18th with a time of 1:26.179. While his performance wasn’t exceptional, it was a special moment as he became the first sibling duo to drive for Ferrari alongside his brother Charles.

Luke Browning, making his debut for Williams, struggled and ended up in 20th place, focusing on gaining experience rather than speed.

Ryo Hirakawa, stepping in for McLaren ahead of a test with Haas, showed a solid performance, finishing 14th with a time of 1:25.874.

Isack Hadjar, who tested for Red Bull, had a tricky session, spinning early to the practice but recovered to finish 15th with a time of 1:25.877.

Felipe Drugovich, Aston Martin’s reserve driver, impressed by finishing 9th with a time of 1:25.471, while Red Bull protégé Ayumu Iwasa took 17th place with a time of 1:26.121.