Formula 1 | Abu Dhabi, EL1: Charles Leclerc takes the lead but will be penalized

It's an Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with a holiday feel that begins with FP1 with many new features. Indeed, although the place of vice-world champion for drivers as well as the world title for constructors are still to be awarded, many changes have taken place before this weekend.

The first is obviously the absence of Esteban Ocon, fired by Alpine F1 after blackmail so that he could take part in post-season testing with Haas. The Frenchman spoke about this ban on driving at Yas Marina, confirming that it was not his choice.

“It’s clear that it’s a bit of a sad ending and not the ending I wanted after five years of working with the team” Ocon told Canal+. “It’s the team’s decision to want to do this. It was important for my future to be able to ride with my next team in Abu Dhabi.”

“The team wouldn't let me do that if I did the last race, and we had to conclude that we shouldn't do this last race and start the next chapter in the best possible way. It's sad because I wanted to thank everyone who worked with me over these five years, all the engineers at Viry and Enstone.”

In terms of developments, there is little new. RB F1 nevertheless has an impressive front wing on its VCARB 01, while Stake F1 brought a revised floor and modified rear brake ducts to the Sauber C44.

Rui Marques, the race director, prohibited drivers from overtaking when exiting the pits, while the Yas Marina circuit is special at this level. Indeed, the exit passes under the track in a tunnel, and Marques certainly wants to avoid drivers going head-on into it.

Franco Colapinto will receive a five-place grid penalty on Sunday for a change of engine component outside the quota allocated to the second Williams, which he and Logan Sargeant drove during the year.

In addition to Jack Doohan, who is competing in his first weekend as a starter in place of the Frenchman at Alpine, several young drivers are present for these EL1s, the teams respecting the obligation to run beginners.

At McLaren, Ryo Hirakawa replaces Oscar Piastri, at Ferrari, Arthur Leclerc is in place of Carlos Sainz and drives with his brother Charles, a first in the history of the world championship. Note that if Charles keeps 'LEC' as the letters on the FOM display, his brother took 'LEL'.

Isack Hadjar rides in place of Max Verstappen at Red Bull. At Aston Martin F1, Lance Stroll has left his wheel to Felipe Drugovich, while Yuki Tsunoda is on the sidelines at RB F1 to let Ayumu Iwasa do a test session. Finally, Luke Browning is alongside Colapinto at Williams in place of Alex Albon.

The teams started the session with aero tests. Red Bull, McLaren and then Ferrari put cars on track with probe grilles, while Alpine had Flo-Vis paint on Doohan's Alpine.

The start of the session was marked by a spin from Isack Hadjar, unhappy with his car, while Lewis Hamilton, who is playing his last weekend with Mercedes, hampered Lando Norris at the start of the session as well.

George Russell took the lead in the first quarter of an hour with a time of 1'25″963 ahead of Hamilton and Colapinto, while the Haas drivers slipped into the top 5. But Norris took the best time in 1'25″710.

Russell then regained the lead of the session in 1'25″571. The drivers used medium tires for the first 20 minutes, before some drivers switched to soft tires.

Hamilton took the best lap on medium tires with a time of 1'25″566. Arthur Leclerc and Hadjar were the first to put on the soft tires but were almost three seconds behind Hamilton's benchmark.

Still on his soft tires, Hadjar moved up to fifth, just behind Pierre Gasly who had also progressed. Russell was fast in a lap on soft tires, he was hampered in the last corner but still took the lead in 1'25″410. Norris did better in 1'24″542 with the same tires, and Nico Hülkenberg placed second.

Charles Leclerc took to the track after more than half an hour in the garage, allowing both brothers to be on the track at the same time. He placed himself in the top 10 on medium tires, while the Mercedes drivers slotted in just behind Norris.

Hadjar was annoyed at being embarrassed on several occasions and then fell out of the top 10 when Liam Lawson and Valtteri Bottas entered it. Browning received a black and white flag for obstructing Hadjar.

Gasly moved up to fourth place on the soft tires, and Charles Leclerc took the lead in 1'24″321, while Gasly is under investigation by the stewards for not having slowed down under yellow flags. Arthur Leclerc improved to 16th place, more than two seconds from his brother.

Drugovich set a nice ninth time, ahead of Alonso. Iwasa slipped into 17th place ahead of Leclerc. No one else improved and it was therefore Charles Leclerc who finished first, ahead of Norris and Russell.

Drugovich is the best debutant in ninth place, ahead of Hirakawa in 14th. Hadjar is 15th, Iwasa 17th, Arthur Leclerc 18th, Doohan 19th but he will have the rest of the weekend to progress, and Browning 20th.

We learned at the very end of these FP1 that Charles Leclerc will receive a ten-place penalty on the grid for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday! The Monegasque's Ferrari receives a new battery, exceeding the authorized quota. This complicates the Scuderia's task for the constructors' title.