Le CASTELLET, France: Carlos Sainz led Charles Leclerc at the top of the times on Friday as Ferrari dominated second practice for the French Grand Prix ahead of world championship leader Max Verstappen of Red Bull.
The Ferrari pair swapped fastest laps in a closely-contested session in bright sunshine, Sainz making light of the prospect of a 10-place grid penalty for Sunday’s race after taking new power-train components.
The Spaniard, who scored his maiden victory at the British Grand Prix earlier this month, clocked a best lap in one minute and 32.527 seconds to beat his Monegasque team-mate by 0.101seconds.
Verstappen was a competitive third ahead of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton in the two freshly-updated Mercedes and Lando Norris who was sixth for McLaren.
Kevin Magnussen was seventh for Haas ahead of Pierre Gasly of AlphaTauri, Daniel Ricciardo in the second McLaren and Sergio Perez, in the second Red Bull.
The session was uninterrupted and largely uneventful as the teams adapted to the heat — the track temperature was 50 degrees and the air 34 degrees — in front of a big holiday crowd.
The circuit is sold out for both Saturday and Sunday, according to the organizers at the Paul Ricard circuit, where the two Alpine drivers set the initial early pace with Fernando Alonso topping Esteban Ocon before Magnussen and then Russell took over until Leclerc arrived.
The reinvigorated Leclerc, who won the last race in Austria, had been quickest in the first session and was swift to pick up where he left off in the earlier action.
As expected, it was a tight contest and four minutes later Verstappen edged ahead by 0.010 seconds only for Sainz, facing a grid penalty on Sunday, to sweep clear at the top by 0.850 in 1:33.322.
The heat appeared to have a soporific effect on everyone for a short period before Leclerc returned to beat his Ferrari team-mate’s time by 0.186 only for the Spaniard to respond and jump six-tenths clear.
It was clear that Ferrari had found a sweet spot in their car set-up, but Verstappen was close to matching them on soft tires, the Dutchman moving up to second briefly before Leclerc replaced him.
Sainz leads Leclerc in Ferrari one-two in French GP practice
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Sainz leads Leclerc in Ferrari one-two in French GP practice
- The Ferrari pair swapped fastest laps in a closely-contested session in bright sunshine
- The Spaniard clocked a best lap in one minute and 32.527 seconds to beat his Monegasque team-mate by 0.101seconds
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix organizers claim top F1 award
- Ethara’s delivery of the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix stood out on the F1 calendar with record attendance and an ambitious entertainment program
- Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2025 hosted a dramatic three-way F1 Drivers’ World Championship showdown with Lando Norris claiming his first drivers’ title
ABU DHABI: Ethara, the promoter of the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, was named Promoter of the Year at the annual F1 Promoter Awards in London on Wednesday, honored for staging the best event of the 2025 season.
The Promoter of the Year award is voted for by Formula One management and is given to the promoter that produced the best all-round event in 2025 and embodied the F1’s mission to deliver the world’s greatest live entertainment spectacle.
Saif Rashid Al-Noaimi, CEO of Ethara, said: “We are proud to be recognized as Promoter of the Year in such a competitive field of promoters. This award is a testament to the strength of the Ethara team who are delivering our vision to become a regional powerhouse in live entertainment. We will continue raising the bar and pioneering unforgettable experiences for fans from around the world.”
Recognizing Ethara’s award, Stefano Domenicali, president and CEO of Formula 1, said that 2025 “was another incredible year from start to finish for Formula 1,” adding that “our 24 promoters worked tirelessly to deliver the ultimate race weekend experience for fans.”
Domenicali said that as the sport enters its next generation in 2026, “we have a responsibility to continue breaking barriers and setting a high standard for others to follow.”
In 2025, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix hosted the dramatic three-way F1 Drivers’ World Championship showdown with Lando Norris claiming his first drivers’ title.
The event broke attendance records with 339,000 fans across four days, including 203,000 spectators at Yas Marina Circuit, alongside 136,000 attendees across Emirates NBD after-race concerts and the Yasalam after-parties featuring eight headline acts.
Expanded access brought fans closer to the action with two public pitlane walks, new FAB Track Walks, and a podium party that invited fans to celebrate on the track.
The Promoter of the Year award is the latest in a series of accolades for the event, following the 2024 Best Event Spectacle award that celebrated the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix for delivering outstanding off-track entertainment.
Since its debut in 2009, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix has established itself as the region’s biggest entertainment weekend, combining elite sport with large-scale entertainment, drawing thousands of international visitors each year and showcasing the emirate to millions of viewers worldwide.
The 18th edition of the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will take place from Dec. 3-6, 2026, bringing the 2026 FIA Formula One World Championship season to a close.
