Advantage Hamilton After Practice For Abu Dhabi Showdown
News 18Lewis Hamilton pushed Formula One rival Max Verstappen off the top of the timesheets to end the opening day of practice for their title showdown at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix comfortably fastest. The Red Bull driver had lapped fastest in Friday afternoon’s opening session of track action with Hamilton, whose quickest lap time was deleted, third. Alpine’s Esteban Ocon took advantage of the Red Bull’s relative lack of single-lap pace, going a surprise second fastest, 0.343 seconds adrift of Hamilton. Williams reserve Jack Aitken replaced Mercedes-bound George Russell in the opening afternoon session just five months after having suffered a broken collarbone and fractured vertebra at the Spa 24 hours sportscar race in Belgium and set the 17th-fastest time.