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Abu Dhabi GP, Practice Two: Lewis Hamilton ahead of Sebastian Vettel

Hamilton sets new lap record around Yas Marina; Vettel a tenth back ahead of Ricciardo and Raikkonen; Bottas six tenths off pace with Verstappen a second down

Lewis Hamilton set a new lap record around Yas Marina to finish ahead of Sebastian Vettel in Practice Two at the Abu Dhabi GP.

The world champion posted a best time of 1:37.877 - surpassing the previous record of 1:38.434 he set back in 2011 - to finish 0.149 seconds ahead of Vettel, who had topped first practice.

Daniel Ricciardo was third for Red Bull, just ahead of Kimi Raikkonen in the second Ferrari, with less than half a second splitting the top four.

"It's close and I think it will be close also tomorrow," said Vettel.

But Valtteri Bottas and Max Verstappen were disappointingly off the pace, six tenths and a second down respectively on Hamilton's best time.

On average long run pace, Hamilton was nine tenths faster than Vettel on the supersoft tyre, but it was much closer on the ultrasoft between Mercedes and Ferrari with Bottas and Raikkonen split by two tenths.

Ricciardo also put in some strong lap times late in the session, to suggest Red Bull may be closer to their rivals come Sunday's race.

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"Race pace was alright. On low fuel we looked decent. We were probably better on low fuel than high fuel but we can clean it up," said Ricciardo.

In the battle between Toro Rosso, Renault and Haas to finish sixth in the Constructors' Championship it was Renault who held the advantage with Nico Hulkenberg ninth for the French manufacturer.

The battle for sixth in Constructors' Championship

Team Points
6. Toro Rosso 53
7. Renault 49
8. Haas 47

Team-mate Carlos Sainz was 13th, while the Toro Rossos of Pierre Gasly and Brendon Hartley were 15th and 19th respectively.

Haas' Kevin Magnussen and Romain Grosjean were 16th and 20th, the latter's session interrupted by a spin and then ended prematurely by an electrical issue.

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Ted Kravitz gives his advice on where to go and what to see in Abu Dhabi this weekend, supported by FairFX - Sky Sports F1 sponsor

After Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull in customary fashion filled the top six spots, only one hundredth of a second split the two Force Indias of Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon in seventh and eighth respectively.

Fernando Alonso completed the top 10 for McLaren on their final race weekend with engine partners Honda, narrowly ahead of William's Felipe Massa and team-mate Stoffel Vandoorne.

Abu Dhabi Practice Two Timesheet

Driver Team Time
Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:37.877
Sebastian Vettel Ferrari +0.149
Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull +0.303
Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari +0.475
Valtteri Bottas Mercedes +0.660
Max Verstappen Red Bull +1.017
Sergio Perez Force India +1.446
Esteban Ocon Force India +1.456
Nico Hulkenberg Renault +1.652
Fernando Alonso McLaren +1.682
Felipe Massa Williams +1.758
Stoffel Vandoorne McLaren +1.794
Carlos Sainz Renault +2.324
Lance Stroll Williams +2.452
Pierre Gasly Toro Rosso +2.817
Kevin Magnussen Haas +3.251
Pascal Wehrlein Sauber +3.393
Marcus Ericsson Sauber +3.425
Brendon Hartley Toro Rosso +3.619
Romain Grosjean Haas +3.683

*All times set on ultrasoft bar Gasly and Grosjean on supersofts

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