P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Yes, McLaren has the early advantage in Abu Dhabi, but Max Verstappen is pushing his Red Bull into contention. Mark Hughes explains the Friday picture at the F1 2025 title decider
“At the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Max Verstappen is closing in on contention with his Red Bull, despite being slightly slower than Lando Norris’s McLaren in both single-lap pace and long-run averages.
Verstappen faced a challenge with a drop-off in pace towards the end of his run, believing something was wrong with his car, yet still managing to keep up with Norris’s average time.
Norris showed superiority in both qualifying and race simulations on different tire compounds, with McLaren seemingly quicker in the early stages of the weekend.
However, Verstappen remains optimistic about the improvement needed in their race pace and aims to find more speed before the race.
Oscar Piastri is currently struggling compared to the two title rivals, Norris and Verstappen, but remains hopeful to improve his performance by the time it really counts.
Overall, the competition at Abu Dhabi is tight with varying strengths and weaknesses among the different teams and drivers on the grid.”
