I am a passionate and knowledgeable Formula 1 fan who has watched the sport since age five, watching every single race. Having karted competitively throughout my teens, I understand what it takes to be a racing driver, and every aspect of motorsports fascinates me. I am now studying sports journalism at the University of Gloucestershire with the hopes of one day landing a dream role in motorsport. As well as English, I speak Spanish fluently after living there for some time when I was younger.
Oscar Piastri topped the timesheets for the final free practice session of 2024 in Abu Dhabi. Behind him were teammates Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton as they set the pace before Saturday's qualifying session at the Yas Marina Circuit. Ferrari had a tough session, seemingly lacking pace to their title rivals.
The session started quietly. As FP3 began, many drivers were outside their cars, arms crossed. It was just the Aston Martins and Alpines who started the session on time. Around 15/ 20 minutes later, on-track action started to pick up. Kevin Magnussen set a great lap time, topping the timesheets with a 1.24.470 on the soft. Besides the lap times coming in, Carlos Sainz seemed to have an engine issue with his Ferrari. A small plume of white smoke was released from the exhaust. If that results in another parts change or grid penalty for Ferrari, it could end their final championship challenge before it even begins. Still, it could be a false alarm for Ferrari.
With 15 minutes to go, the final qualifying runs of the year began. Oscar Piastri set the pace from his teammate, and Lewis Hamilton performed well on the soft in third place. Qualifying takes place in just a few hours time in Abu Dhabi.
Full FP3 results:
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