F1: McLaren Rises In First Abu Dhabi Practice

Formula 1

F1: McLaren Rises In First Abu Dhabi Practice

Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button paced Friday's opening runs in Abu Dhabi...

Jared Turner | Posted November 02, 2012 Abu Dhabi (ARE)

Their title hopes already history, McLaren drivers Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button don't appear ready to just coast through the season's final three races.

Such is the conclusion one could easily draw from Friday's opening Formula One practice at Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi.

Hamilton, whose days with McLaren will end with the conclusion of the 2012 season, showed the way with a lap of 1:43:285 that was good enough to eddge Button's runner-up time of 1:43:618.

World Championship leader Sebastian Vettel and championship runner-up Fernando Alonso were third and fourth, respectively, as Vettel's Red Bull teammate, Mark Webber, completed the top five.

Positions six through 10 on the time sheet belonged to Michael Schumacher, Pastor Maldonado, Nico Rosberg, reserve Valtteri Bottas and Kimi Raikkonen.

Vettel holds a 13-point edge over Spaniard Alonso in the standings with just three races left on the 2012 calendar. Despite three others still technically being mathematically alive, the championship fight is for all practical matters a two-horse race.

Vettel enters the weekend red hot, fresh off his fourth consecutive victory recorded last weekend at Buddh International Circuit in India.

On-track proceedings resume at Yas Marina Circuit with SPEED's live coverage of Free Practice Two at 9 a.m. ET.

Jared Turner is an Associate Editor for SPEED.com, covering NASCAR and Formula One, and is an Editor for TruckSeries.com. His professional motorsports writing career began in 2005.