The Mexican Sergio ‘Checo’ Pérez (Red Bull) dominated the last free practice for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, which will close the season this Sunday at the Yas Marina circuit, a session that could cost Britain’s Lewis Hamilton positions on the starting grid for not slowing down with a red flag on the track.
The Spanish Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) was seventh and his compatriot Fernando Alonso (Alpine) finished twelfth three thousandths behind his teammate, the Frenchman Esteban Ocon.
Con 46 degrees of temperature on the asphalt he started the last trial before qualifying for the twenty-second race of the year.
Pérez, who is fighting for the runner-up spot with Monegasque Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), was getting good feelings in training and led the time table halfway through practice (1:25.861). Moments later, Frenchman Pierre Gasly’s car lost its right front tire and, in addition, the flap on that wheel came off, which caused the red flag on track.
At that time, a British Lewis Hamilton’s mistake when slowing down with these circumstances on the track, something that will predictably cost him positions on the starting grid on Sunday.
Already with green in Yas Marina, the seven-time champion took the lead with a time of 1:25.824 that was soon improved.
With better track conditions, Pérez, with new softs and in qualifying simulation, was the first that he beat the record that his teammate Max Verstappen had set on Friday (1:25.146) and also, he was the only one who managed to go down from 1:25 (1:24.982). After Pérez, the other Red Bull finished, that of Max Verstappen, the Mercedes of Hamilton and the British George Russell, brand new winner of the Sao Paulo GP, and Lando Norris’s McLaren surpassed the Ferraris of Leclerc and Sainz.
Timetable
.1. Sergio Perez MEX Red Bull 1:24.982
.2. Max Verstappen NED Red Bull 1:25.134
.3. Lewis Hamilton GBR Mercedes 1:25.222
.4. George Russell GBR Mercedes 1:25.395
.5. Lando Norris GBR McLaren 1:25.518
.6. Charles Leclerc MY Ferrari 1:25.571
.7. Carlos Sainz ESP Ferrari 1:25.605
.8. Daniel Ricciardo AUS McLaren 1:25.950
.9. Sebastian Vettel GER Aston Martin 1:26.012
10. Alexander Albon THA Williams 1:26.051
11. Esteban Ocon FROM Alpine 1:26.073
12. Fernando Alonso ESP Alpine 1:26.076
13. Yuki Tsunoda JPN Alpha Tauri 1:26.170
14. Valtteri Bottas FIN Alfa Romeo 1:26.189
15. Pierre Gasly FRA Alpha Tauri 1:26.239
16. Lance Stroll CAN Aston Martin 1:26.298
17. Kevin Magnussen DIN Haas 1:26.356
18. Mick Schumacher GER Haas 1:26.473
19. Zhou Guanyu CHN Alfa Romeo 1:26.482
20. Nicholas Latifi CAN Williams 1:26.646.