McLaren's Lewis Hamilton set the pace in practice for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Friday while double world champion Sebastian Vettel crunched into the barriers. Vettel, returning to the Yas Marina circuit a year on from becoming Formula One's youngest champion, skidded off at turn one with more than half an hour remaining of the second floodlit session.
The Red Bull driver, who has already wrapped up his second title, was powerless to prevent Hamilton ending the day on top of the timesheets and team mate Jenson Button second in a Friday sweep for McLaren. Hamilton's time of one minute 39.586 seconds was 0.199 faster than Button. The older Briton was quickest in the opening afternoon daylight session in 1:40.263.
Vettel's impact with the barriers was nothing to concern the team too much, particularly as the 24-year-old has three times this season crashed on Friday before taking pole position on Saturday. Ferrari may have been more troubled when Fernando Alonso, also a double champion, then went off at the same turn and clouted the barriers with rather more force. The Spaniard, who still ended up third fastest, also had a spin in the opening practice.
Vettel's Australian team mate Mark Webber was second on the Yas Marina timing screens in the first session but slipped to fifth as the night fell. Some less familiar names also enjoyed a moment in the limelight in opening practice, with Robert Wickens the first Canadian to appear on track in a grand prix weekend since 1997 champion Jacques Villeneuve departed the scene in 2006.