Chares Leclerc receives a 10-place grid penalty for a battery change at the Abu Dhabi GP in a blow to Ferrari's title hopes.
Ferrari had high hopes of winning a first Formula One constructors' title since 2008 as Charles Leclerc collected a 10-place grid drop and rivals McLaren one-two in practice on Friday for the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi.
Leclerc was fastest in the first daylight session at the Yas Marina circuit but Ferrari then revealed they had changed the battery in his car, a breach which triggered an automatic penalty.
McLaren's Lando Norris was fastest in the second flooded session, 0.234 faster than his Australian teammate Oscar Piastri.
Ferrari are 21 points behind McLaren, who were last champions in 1998, with 44 still to win in Sunday's 24th and final race of the season with 2023 champions Red Bull out of the running.
McLaren ready to kick on Ferrari hill
McLaren boss Andrea Stella, formerly of Ferrari, said there was no sense the pressure was off, however. “We are talking about Charles Leclerc. We are talking about Ferrari. It's a very strong combination,” he said. “I think even with the penalty, I wouldn't be surprised if we see them very soon fighting for the front, for the main positions. that nothing has changed.”
Leclerc finished with a best time of one minute 24.321 seconds, with Norris 0.221 slower. Norris' best lap in the second practice was 1:23.517.
Mercedes' seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton and team-mate George Russell were third and fourth in practice one, with Haas' Nico Hulkenberg third later in the session with Carlos Sainz fourth for Ferrari and Leclerc sixth.
Sunday's race will be Hamilton's last outing for Mercedes before joining Ferrari as Sainz's replacement, with the Spaniard heading for Williams. Hamilton was fifth later with Russell 13th.
Alpine's Pierre Gasly was fifth fastest in session one, with new Australian teammate Jack Doohan just 19th in preparation for his first race in place of Esteban Ocon.
The pair were 12th and 19th respectively later on.
Williams' Franco Colapinto and Alex Albon have five crashes for mechanical changes, another blow to a team reeling from a number of costly crashes that have pushed them to the brink on spares.
Colapinto, who will hand over his seat to Sainz for next season, hit a curve and damaged the floor of his car in the second session.
The Abu Dhabi GP hosts F1 first
In a Formula One first, two brothers took to the track for the same team in the opening session – alongside Leclerc with younger brother Arthur (18th) driving Ferrari Sainz.
Six of the 10 teams had a young driver at the wheel of one of their cars in the afternoon session, fulfilling the duty of giving them time on the track.
Japan's Ryo Hirakawa replaced Piastri, Isack Hadjar drove four-time champion Max Verstappen's Red Bull, and Felipe Drugovich was in Lance Stroll's Aston Martin.
Ayumu Iwasa stood in for Yuki Tsunoda who was Japanese at RB and Luke Browning for Albon.
Verstappen, last year's race winner who has been embroiled in a bitter rivalry with the much-talked-about Russell on the grid, returned for practice two and was 17th with team-mate Sergio Perez 14th .
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