P1racenews AI automatic summary:
The task facing F1 teams on Friday at the Abu Dhabi GP was an unenviable one given two red flags in FP2 meant long runs were at a premium. Mark Hughes looks at what sense – if any – can be made of the times on show
The second practice session in Abu Dhabi was heavily affected by red flags, making it difficult to draw meaningful conclusions. Different teams had different run plans, with some focusing on long runs and others doing low-fuel simulations. Charles Leclerc set the fastest time of the session on the first lap of his long-run sequence, showing that Ferrari is in a good position. However, it’s unclear how Ferrari compares to Red Bull, as we have limited data and comparisons to Mercedes are misleading due to tyre strategies. Leclerc acknowledged that Mercedes still looks strong and that Ferrari has a lot of work to do. Daniel Ricciardo also had impressive averages on the mediums, positioning himself well between Norris and Russell.
