Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: Lewis Hamilton leads FP3 amid fears of potential grid drop 

Lewis Hamilton topped the final free practice session ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The Briton was trailed by championship contender Max Verstappen, who was second-fastest, and team-mate Valtteri Bottas in third.

Hamilton’s fastest lap was clocked at 1 minute 23.274 seconds, 0.214 seconds quicker than Verstappen, and a sizable 0.751 seconds up on Bottas. Due to traffic during the practice session, the Red Bull Racing driver was not able to put together a proper sprint lap. However, Mercedes driver Hamilton fears being penalized for impeding Nikita Mazepin for the second weekend in a row.

FP3 CLASSIFICATION (60/60 mins)

Just 0.214s separate Hamilton and Verstappen heading into qualifying ????

#AbuDhabiGP ???????? #F1

FP3 CLASSIFICATION (60/60 mins)Just 0.214s separate Hamilton and Verstappen heading into qualifying ???? #AbuDhabiGP ???????? #F1 https://t.co/5DXfhzIypZ

Red Bull Racing’s Sergio Perez clocked the fourth-fastest time but was half a second off his team-mate and more than seven tenths slower than Hamilton. McLaren driver Lando Norris clocked the fifth-fastest lap, followed by Alpha Tauri rookie Yuki Tsunoda, who was sixth fastest in the final practice session of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Alpha Tauri driver Pierre Gasly was seventh fastest and was trailed by Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz, who clocked the eighth fastest lap. McLaren driver Daniel Ricciardo was ninth fastest, followed by Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who completed the top 10 drivers at the end of Abu Dhabi Grand Prix FP3.

Lewis Hamilton could be reprimanded with a potential grid drop for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Championship protagonist Lewis Hamilton could be investigated for impeding Haas F1 driver Nikita Mazepin for a second consecutive weekend. The Briton had a similar run-in with the Russian during the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix weekend, for which he was reprimanded with a fine.

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A second reprimand for the same driving offense could mean a 10-place grid penalty for the driver. That could prove very costly for Hamilton, given the fine margins involved in the title battle. While inconsistent penalties have been a raging debate in the sport, no severe punishment or reprimand for the Briton’s offense could lead to a protest by his rivals.