Leclerc Tops Chaotic Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Practice as Sainz and Hulkenberg Crash

The highly anticipated 2023 Formula 1 season finale in Abu Dhabi kicked off with a dramatic and disrupted second practice session, leaving teams with plenty to analyze. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc emerged at the top of the time sheets, showcasing impressive pace on the soft compound tyres. However, the session was marred by significant incidents, most notably a damaging crash for his teammate Carlos Sainz Jnr and another spin for Nico Hulkenberg, both bringing out red flags and severely limiting track time for many drivers.

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A Disrupted Start to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Weekend

The Yas Marina Circuit, known for its challenging layout and stunning night racing, hosted the final Friday practice of the 2023 F1 season. After a first practice session that saw numerous test drivers take to the track, the second session was crucial for the regular drivers to fine-tune their cars ahead of qualifying and Sunday’s race. However, their plans were continuously interrupted, leading to a fragmented 60 minutes of running.

Initial Pace and Driver Line-Up Adjustments

Following the first practice session where ten test drivers replaced regular team members, the second hour saw the return of the full grid. Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez, after handing their Red Bulls to Jake Dennis and Isack Hadjar respectively, reclaimed their seats. This period was vital for them to get acquainted with the track conditions, albeit with the new race engineers who had made their debut in FP1 remaining in their roles. Other prominent drivers like Lewis Hamilton, Lando Norris, Fernando Alonso, Esteban Ocon, Zhou Guanyu, and Alexander Albon also got their first runs of the day. George Russell, who had set the fastest time in the opening session, immediately reasserted his presence, posting an early benchmark of 1’25.906 on medium tyres. Daniel Ricciardo impressed with the second-fastest time for AlphaTauri, closely followed by Lance Stroll in third, indicating a tight midfield battle from the outset.

Red Flag Chaos: Carlos Sainz’s Dramatic Turn Three Incident

Less than ten minutes into the session, the proceedings came to an abrupt halt. A red flag was deployed after Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari SF-23 dramatically spun into the outside barrier at Turn 3, just after the pit exit line. Sainz had been pushing hard through the initial corners of his lap when he encountered Yuki Tsunoda’s AlphaTauri. The Spanish driver reported that the “dirty air” from Tsunoda’s car caused a sudden loss of downforce, leading his Ferrari to snap out of control and collide with the TecPro barrier. The impact caused significant damage to his car, and with the barrier requiring extensive repairs, the session faced a lengthy delay of almost half an hour. This incident was a major setback for Sainz, severely limiting his crucial track time and potentially impacting his confidence heading into the remainder of the race weekend. For Ferrari, it meant mixed emotions – while Leclerc was performing well, his teammate’s early exit presented an unwanted challenge.

Second Interruption: Nico Hulkenberg Adds to the Delays

As the session finally resumed after the lengthy wait for Sainz’s crash clear-up, drivers were eager to make up for lost time. Max Verstappen, in particular, was visibly keen, aggressively overtaking several cars on his out-lap. However, his efforts to set a timed lap were cut short as the red flag was waved for a second time. This instance saw Nico Hulkenberg, in his Haas, lose control at the exit of Turn 1. The German driver spun and made contact with the inside barrier, sustaining damage to the rear of his car. While less severe than Sainz’s crash, Hulkenberg’s incident further compounded the delays, reducing the effective running time to a mere 16 minutes after an additional stoppage of nearly seven minutes. These repeated interruptions meant that many teams struggled to complete their planned programmes, particularly critical for evaluating tyre compounds and long-run pace. The limited track time forced drivers and engineers to make quick decisions under pressure, adding another layer of complexity to the season finale preparations.

The Sprint to the Finish: Leclerc Shines on Soft Tyres

With just 16 minutes remaining, the pit lane once again buzzed with activity. Drivers, knowing their time was severely limited, wasted no time heading out. Verstappen, ever the competitor, again demonstrated his urgency by overtaking both Mercedes cars of Russell and Hamilton at the pit lane exit, eager to get a clear run. The focus for most teams shifted to qualifying simulations, with a majority opting to fit the soft compound tyres. It was on this softer, red-walled rubber that Charles Leclerc truly distinguished himself. The Monegasque driver unleashed a blistering lap of 1’24.809, positioning his Ferrari at the very top of the standings. This performance underscored Ferrari’s potential in Abu Dhabi, despite Sainz’s earlier misfortune.

Norris and Verstappen Show Their Pace

Lando Norris continued to impress, bringing his McLaren within a mere half-tenth of Leclerc’s benchmark, securing a strong second place. His consistent pace throughout the season has been a highlight, and his performance in FP2 suggested McLaren could be a strong contender in qualifying. Max Verstappen, despite the disruptions and having swapped cars with test drivers earlier, managed to secure third place. While he was just under two-tenths slower than Leclerc, his ability to quickly adapt and extract performance from his Red Bull, even with limited running, was a testament to his skill. The close margins between the top three indicated that the battle for pole position on Saturday would be fiercely contested.

Midfield Battles and Notable Performances

Beyond the top three, the midfield proved incredibly tight. Valtteri Bottas put in a strong performance for Alfa Romeo, securing an excellent fourth place, demonstrating the potential of the C43 on the Yas Marina circuit. Sergio Perez, in the second Red Bull, finished fifth, indicating Red Bull’s strong overall package. George Russell and Lewis Hamilton placed sixth and eighth respectively for Mercedes, still searching for that ultimate pace. Zhou Guanyu, in the other Alfa Romeo, took seventh, highlighting a strong session for the team. Pierre Gasly and Oscar Piastri completed the top ten, showcasing the competitive nature of the field. Remarkably, the top 15 drivers were all separated by less than a second on the timing screens, promising an exciting and unpredictable qualifying session. The limited track time meant that every lap counted, and those who managed to maximize their opportunities on the soft tyres reaped the rewards.

Overall Session Summary and Implications for Qualifying

The 2023 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix second practice session was defined by its interruptions, making it a challenging hour for all teams and drivers. While Charles Leclerc celebrated the quickest time, the twin red flags caused by Carlos Sainz and Nico Hulkenberg meant many drivers did not get a clear run or enough data on long-run pace. The short bursts of action on soft tyres provided a glimpse into qualifying potential, with Ferrari, McLaren, and Red Bull all looking competitive. However, the true pecking order remains somewhat obscured due to the compromised session. Teams will now work tirelessly overnight to analyse the limited data available and prepare their strategies for Saturday’s crucial qualifying session and the ultimate season-ending race. The stage is set for an intriguing battle in the desert, with the mixed fortunes of Friday’s practice adding an extra layer of anticipation for the final Grand Prix of the year.

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2023 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Second Practice Result

P.	#	Driver	Team	Model	Time	Gap	Laps
1	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	SF-23	1’24.809		16
2	4	Lando Norris	McLaren-Mercedes	MCL60	1’24.852	0.043	18
3	1	Max Verstappen	Red Bull-Honda RBPT	RB19	1’24.982	0.173	17
4	77	Valtteri Bottas	Alfa Romeo-Ferrari	C43	1’25.024	0.215	16
5	11	Sergio Perez	Red Bull-Honda RBPT	RB19	1’25.112	0.303	17
6	63	George Russell	Mercedes	W14	1’25.122	0.313	17
7	24	Zhou Guanyu	Alfa Romeo-Ferrari	C43	1’25.223	0.414	18
8	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	W14	1’25.315	0.506	16
9	10	Pierre Gasly	Alpine-Renault	A523	1’25.321	0.512	15
10	81	Oscar Piastri	McLaren-Mercedes	MCL60	1’25.361	0.552	18
11	14	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin-Mercedes	AMR23	1’25.397	0.588	17
12	3	Daniel Ricciardo	AlphaTauri-Honda RBPT	AT04	1’25.467	0.658	16
13	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin-Mercedes	AMR23	1’25.492	0.683	17
14	31	Esteban Ocon	Alpine-Renault	A523	1’25.566	0.757	17
15	22	Yuki Tsunoda	AlphaTauri-Honda RBPT	AT04	1’25.669	0.860	17
16	23	Alexander Albon	Williams-Mercedes	FW45	1’26.081	1.272	20
17	20	Kevin Magnussen	Haas-Ferrari	VF-23	1’26.413	1.604	18
18	2	Logan Sargeant	Williams-Mercedes	FW45	1’26.659	1.850	17
19	55	Carlos Sainz Jnr	Ferrari	SF-23	1’26.707	1.898	4
20	27	Nico Hulkenberg	Haas-Ferrari	VF-23	1’27.147	2.338	7