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Sport newsChampionship-leading McLaren driver Lando Norris made it a clean sweep in Friday practice for the 2025 FIA Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, beating Red Bull title rival Max Verstappen by almost four tenths of a second, as Oscar PIastri could only manage the 11th fastest time of the second practice session in the other McLaren.The evening session, run in similar conditions to those drivers will experience in qualifying and the race got off to a busty start with a mix Medium and Soft tyres in use. And it was Soft tyre runner Ollie Bearman who set the pace initially, with the Haas driver posting a lap of 1:24.744s on the C5 tyres to take top spot. The Briton was then replaced by Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar, who was also out on the C5. Behind then Norris was quickest of the Medium tyre runners, while Kick Sauber’s Nico Hüllkenberg was fast on Hard tyres.Hadjar and Bearman held on as the top two almost until the halfway mark, but just ahead of 30 minutes Verstappen headed out on a set of Soft tyres and the Dutchman immediately vaulted to the top of the order with a lap of 1:23.446, a tenth clear of Hülkenberg who also moved to the C5 compound. Mercedes George Russell then dislodged the German driver to steal P2.Norris was also now out on the red-banded tyres and he went well clear, posting a lap of 1:23.082 to moved more than three tenths ahead of Verstappen. The Dutchman didn’t respond and instead moved to the Medium tyre to conduct longer runs and as the rest of the field also switched to assessment of race pace, the order froze. Behind Verstappen, Russell held on to P3 ahead of Bearman who punched in a lap of 1:23.501 in a Haas car he described “insanely good”. Hülkenberg completed the top five, just under half a second off Norris’ P1 time and the German was immediately followed by team-mate Gabriel Bortoleto who ended the session just under a tenth ahead of Hadjar. Charles Leclerc was eighth for Ferrari ahead of Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and the top 10 was rounded out by Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli. That left title hopeful Piastri in P11. The Australian missed FP1 as Pato O’Ward was given a regulation-fulfilling run out and once back in the car Piastri struggled to find a comfortable balance and ended up 0.68s seconds off the pace of his team-mate. 2025 FIA Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Free Practice 21 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 1:23.083 28 228.8262 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1:23.446 0.363 31 227.8313 George Russell Mercedes 1:23.462 0.379 29 227.7874 Oliver Bearman Haas/Ferrari 1:23.501 0.418 28 227.6815 Nico Hülkenberg Sauber/Ferrari 1:23.550 0.467 28 227.5476 Gabriel Bortoleto Sauber/Ferrari 1:23.570 0.487 28 227.4937 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls/Honda RBPT 1:23.657 0.574 29 227.2568 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:23.658 0.575 31 227.2539 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Mercedes 1:23.708 0.625 27 227.11810 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1:23.750 0.667 29 227.00411 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 1:23.763 0.680 29 226.96812 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 1:23.832 0.749 29 226.78213 Carlos Sainz Williams/Mercedes 1:23.872 0.789 31 226.67314 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 1:23.939 0.856 29 226.49315 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 1:23.950 0.867 32 226.46316 Esteban Ocon Haas/Ferrari 1:23.958 0.875 27 226.44117 Yuki Tsunoda Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1:24.303 1.220 29 225.51518 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls/Honda RBPT 1:24.474 1.391 32 225.05819 Franco Colapinto Alpine/Renault 1:24.771 1.688 28 224.27020 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Renault 1:24.963 1.880 30 223.763 FIA Formula One World ChampionshipF1SEASON 2025SportCircuit1SportFIA Formula One World ChampionshipCircuitSEASON 2025F101Friday, December 5, 2025 - 3:37pmFriday, December 5, 2025 - 3:37pm

Sport newsLando Norris went quickest in opening practice for the 2025 FIA Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, finishing just 0.008s ahead of title rival Max Verstappen on thew weekend on which the Drivers’ Championship will be decided. The third contender for the crown, Oscar Piastri sat out the session with his McLaren car being taken over by Pato O’Ward.It was a session in which a number of rookie drivers took part, with nine regulars sitting out the unrepresentative daytime session at the Yas Marina circuit as team adhered to regulations that stipulate drivers must cede their seat for at least two FP1s during the season to a driver with no more than two grand prix starts. Along with O’Ward at McLaren, Aston Martin ran Jak Crawford and Cian Shields, Red Bull Racing had 2026 Racing Bulls recruit Arvid Lindblad driving in place of Yuki Tsunoda, Racing Bulls had Ayumu Iwasa in for Liam Lawson, Ferrari handed Lewis Hamilton’s car to Arthur Leclerc, Alpine’s Pierre Gasly made way for Paul Aron, Williams handed Luke Browning the car of Alex Albon and Haas handed Esteban Ocon’s car to Ryo Hirakawa. It was Verstappen who set the early pace in the session with a 1:27.130s on the Hard tyre, 0.038s ahead of George Russell on the same compound. There was a variety of compounds on display, however, and Medium-shod Norris took his turn at the top as the opening half hours saw a number of drivers have a moment in P1, including Kick Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto and Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar who will replace Tsunoda at Red Bull Racing in 2026. The field then began to move to the C5 Soft compound tyres for performance running and Verstappen once again made his way to P1 with a lap of 1:24.493s, two hundredths of a second ahead of Norris and almost a tenth ahead of third-placed Ferrari regular Charles Leclerc.Norris and Verstappen then traded best times before Norris eventually cemented himself into P1 with a lap of 1:24.485s that left him 0.008s clear of his championship rival. Leclerc completed the top three with a lap 1:24.501s, 0.016s behind Norris. Kimi Antonelli took P4 for Mercedes ahead of Kick Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg with George Russell sixth in the other Mercedes, Gabriel Bortoleto was seventh in the other Sauber ahead of Haas’ Oliver Bearman who used Medium tyres to set his best time. Williams’ Carlos Sainz was ninth and the top 10 order was completed by Alpine’s Franco Colapinto.FIA World Endurance champion Hirakawa was quickest of the nine rookies in P11, with Aron in 13th ahead of O’Ward, Lindblad, Leclerc, Iwasa, Browning, Crawford and Shields who was 20th. 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Free Practice 1 1 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 1:24.485 28 225.0292 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1:24.493 0.008 30 225.0073 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:24.501 0.016 28 224.9864 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1:24.608 0.123 30 224.7025 Nico Hülkenberg Sauber/Ferrari 1:24.629 0.144 28 224.6466 George Russell Mercedes 1:24.733 0.248 29 224.3707 Gabriel Bortoleto Sauber/Ferrari 1:24.742 0.257 29 224.3468 Oliver Bearman Haas/Ferrari 1:24.759 0.274 14 224.3019 Carlos Sainz Williams/Mercedes 1:24.771 0.286 27 224.27010 Franco Colapinto Alpine/Renault 1:24.855 0.370 28 224.04811 Ryō Hirakawa Haas/Ferrari 1:24.934 0.449 28 223.83912 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls/Honda RBPT 1:24.977 0.492 31 223.72613 Paul Aron Alpine/Renault 1:25.204 0.719 27 223.13014 Patricio O'Ward McLaren/Mercedes 1:25.246 0.761 28 223.02015 Arvid Lindblad Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1:25.256 0.771 26 222.99416 Arthur Leclerc Ferrari 1:25.360 0.875 27 222.72217 Ayumu Iwasa Racing Bulls/Honda RBPT 1:25.475 0.990 30 222.42218 Luke Browning Williams/Mercedes 1:25.490 1.005 18 222.38319 Jak Crawford Aston Martin/Mercedes 1:25.889 1.404 24 221.35020 Cian Shields Aston Martin/Mercedes 1:26.432 1.947 22 219.960 FIA Formula One World ChampionshipF1SEASON 2025SportCircuit1SportFIA Formula One World ChampionshipCircuitSEASON 2025F101Friday, December 5, 2025 - 2:29pmFriday, December 5, 2025 - 2:29pm

FIA newsGhada Ashour, a 24-year-old student from Palestine, grew up in Gaza where she has been studying remotely until gaining her place on the UAOA scholarship, which brought her to Dublin City University (DCU), Ireland. She was selected for the scholarship based on her interests in social media, and her strong passion for advancing insights in this area for the benefit of everyone participating in sport.Launched in 2023, the programme offers talented students and young professionals from diverse backgrounds the opportunity to engage in cutting-edge research on the impact, prevalence, and prevention of online abuse in sport with a focus on developing practical solutions. Funded by the FIA Foundation, the UAOA scholars have been selected to undertake invaluable research at DCU based on their project proposals, dedication to achieving positive social change, and their unique perspectives approaching this issue.Ghada’s thesis, which will be printed in English and translated into Arabic, will focus specifically on the relationship between athlete activism and online abuse. Athletes increasingly speak out on a range of human rights issues from war and conflict to social and environmental issues. Although the attention such athletes bring can be positive for those issues, research indicates it can lead to significant abuse.Dublin City University is a leading academic institution in the study of online abuse and supports UAOA scholars to undertake their academic research on topics including prevalence, form and victims of online abuse in the sporting world; preventative measures and intervention strategies for online harassment; analysis of existing regulations and recommendations for new policies and intelligence models used to detect and remove online abuse.Each UAOA Scholar receives a fully funded scholarship, funded by the FIA Foundation. Scholars benefit from mentorship by leading experts in the field, hands-on experience with data collection and analysis, and the chance to attend UAOA events, where they can share their findings with a global audience of policymakers, sports federations, and digital platforms. The inaugural cohort of four UAOA Scholars represents a diverse group from different parts of the world, including participants from Italy, South Africa, the UK, and Mexico.Online abuse affects the whole sports ecosystem – in motorsport and beyond – including not only athletes but volunteers, officials, journalists and fans. UAOA’s 2025 Barometer Report found that 75% of sports federations report continued threats against competitors and their families, and that 90% believe abuse could force athletes to leave their sport. By standing together, UAOA and its partners are dedicated to creating an online environment where sport can be celebrated as a positive, inclusive and empowering force for good.Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President of the FIA and Founder of UAOA, said: “The FIA is committed to extending opportunities across the world while inspiring and developing the next generation. Education lies at the core of this mission, and I am pleased to welcome Ghada as the latest student in the UAOA Scholarship Programme. Her experience and research will help broaden the international perspective on this critical issue. This pioneering research programme will help ensure we safeguard the future of sport for generations to come.”Ghada Ashour, UAOA Scholar, said: “I am truly grateful to Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President of the FIA, and founder of UAOA, for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It is a dream come true to study the subject I am passionate about at a leading institution in this field. I am so excited to advance the field of research in online abuse in sport and to contribute to this prevalent topic which is impacting so many people’s lives on a daily basis.”Dr Gary Sinclair (DCU), Head of International Network for Online Harms in Sport, said: “I am honoured to supervise Ghada on her academic studies and to continue DCU’s longstanding relationship with the UAOA and FIA. Ghada’s topic is incredibly important and contributes to a growing area of research. DCU has led in the field of online harms in sport over the last five years, specialising in data analytics, fan behaviour and sporting organisational response to online harms. DCU hosts the International Network for Online Harms in Sport and has led specialised funded research in football and F1. The UAOA scholars are an integral part of that network.”-ENDS- About United Against Online Abuse (UAOA)The United Against Online Abuse campaign, founded by FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem and supported by the FIA Foundation, is a global coalition committed to tackling online harm in sport. Through research, advocacy, and collaboration with sports organisations, governments, and technology platforms, UAOA is driving change to protect the digital environment for all participants in sport. In 2024 the FIA won Peace and Sport’s Coalition for Peace Award in recognition of the work UAOA continues to undertake.About the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA)The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) is the governing body for world motor sport and the federation for mobility organisations globally. It is a non-profit organisation committed to driving innovation and championing safety, sustainability and equality across motor sport and mobility.Founded in 1904, with offices in Paris, London and Geneva, the FIA brings together 245 Member Organisations across five continents, representing millions of road users, motor sport professionals and volunteers. It develops and enforces regulations for motor sport, including seven FIA World Championships, to ensure worldwide competitions are safe and fair for all.United Against Online AbuseFIA1FIAUnited Against Online Abuse00Friday, December 5, 2025 - 12:53pmFriday, December 5, 2025 - 12:53pm