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Lewis Hamilton laid down the marker at the end of the year's final F1 final practice session (FP3) ahead of qualifying for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The session, although held in conditions not entirely representative of qualifying or the race, still provided quite a few hints about what could be in store this weekend.
Trailing Hamilton in FP3 was Max Verstappen, two-tenths of a second down on the Mercedes man. However, he was held up by traffic while attempting a hotlap.
While there's always a chance of sand-bagging during these practice sessions, with true pace being revealed in qualifying, here are our top three takeaways from the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix FP3.
Note: Opinions reflected in this article are solely those of the writer.
3 key learnings from FP3 in the F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
1) Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton appear to have the better package
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At one point in the session, Lewis Hamilton climbed to the top of the timing screens, setting a time that was seven-tenths of a second quicker than the field. It's not just on the timing screen that the Mercedes looks fastest but also visibly, the car just looks more planted than the rest on-track.
Red Bull, on the other hand, does not look entirely sure of the approach it wants to take. Max Verstappen tried out multiple wing configurations during the session.
2) Alpha Tauri duo seems surprisingly competitive
While Lando Norris was eventually able to produce a faster laptime, there was a point in FP3 when the top-six on the list included two Alpha Tauris.
Red Bull's sister team has had a decent package all year round, and more often than not, it has delivered as well. If they manage to build on that form come qualifying, a grid featuring six Red Bull teams in the top six could certainly spoil Mercedes' plans.
3) P5 in F1 drivers championship could be close
Friday's free practice sessions appeared to give the Ferrari duo of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz the edge in their battle for fifth in the F1 drivers' championship against Lando Norris.
However, the McLaren youngster put together a lap late in FP3 that was good enough for P5. And with the Alpha Tauris potentially having sufficient pace to mix it up with the Ferraris and McLarens in the race, the fight for fifth in the drivers' championship could be too close to call.
