Hamilton 0.374s ahead of Rosberg ahead of title showdown; Red Bulls just a tenth behind championship leader; Button has session cut short with ERS failure
Monday 28 November 2016 11:22, UK
Lewis Hamilton struck the first blow of his crucial Abu Dhabi GP weekend by topping the timesheets from title rival Nico Rosberg in Practice One.
Needing to overcome a 12-point deficit to his Mercedes team-mate to retain his crown, Hamilton out-paced Rosberg by 0.374s in the opening Yas Marina session with a lap of 1:42.869 on the soft tyre.
Rosberg set his fastest time on the ultrasofts and encouragingly for Hamilton, who needs the German to finish fourth or lower this weekend, Red Bull duo Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo were just a tenth behind the championship leader.
"We have nothing to lose and everything to gain so we are going to run flat out," Red Bull boss Christian Horner told Sky Sports F1, adding that the best chance of Hamilton winning the championship is by backing up his team-mate.
Rosberg, so close to his maiden title, held an early advantage on the ultrasoft tyre but Hamilton improved as the session went on, seemingly happier with his setup on a slower compound.
Sebastian Vettel was fifth but 0.6s adrift of the slowest Red Bull as Ferrari struggled for pace on the street-style circuit, with Force India's Sergio Perez impressively out-pacing Kimi Raikkonen a place back.
Jenson Button, however, who claims this season-ender will be his last race in Formula 1, had his P1 session cut short with an ERS issue on his McLaren. The Brit finished down in 20th place, with team-mate Fernando Alonso disappointingly just 18th.
Daniil Kvyat also had an afternoon to forget as a puncture on his Toro Rosso right at the start of his lap forced him to stop his car at the side of the road. He wasn't to return and propped up the timesheets.
Track temperature and conditions were by no means representative of what we can expect in Sunday's twilight title showdown, and many drivers struggled for grip early on. Romain Grosjean was lucky not to end up in the barriers after losing control of his erratic Haas at Turn One, while Hamilton was one of many to spin at Turn Five.
But it is the Brit who has the advantage heading into Practice Two and the rest of the weekend, knowing that a fourth victory in a row is imperative.
Abu Dhabi GP Practice One timesheet
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 1:42.869
2. Nico Rosberg, Mercedes, 1:43.243
3. Max Verstappen, Red Bull, 1:43.297
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull, 1:43.362
5. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari, 1:44.005
6. Sergio Perez, Force India, 1:44.155
7. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari, 1:44.556
8. Carlos Sainz, Toro Rosso, 1:44.685
9. Felipe Massa, Williams, 1:45.039
10. Marcus Ericsson, Sauber, 1:45.168
11. Alfonso Celis Jr, Force India, 1:45.476
12. Romain Grosjean, Haas, 1:45.600
13. Felipe Nasr, Sauber, 1:45.778
14. Esteban Gutierrez, Haas, 1:45.925
15. Valtteri Bottas, Williams, 1:45.940
16. Jolyon Palmer, Renault 1:46.219
17. Kevin Magnussen, Renault, 1:46.372
18. Fernando Alonso, McLaren, 1:46.379
19. Pascal Wehrlein, Manor, 1:46.458
20. Jenson Button, McLaren, 1:47.127
21. Jordan King, Manor, 1:47.558
22. Daniil Kvyat, Toro Rosso, 2:01.989
