Hamilton crashes in final practice for F1 title-deciding Abu Dhabi GP ahead of qualifying
Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates) (AP): Seven-time Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton crashed in the final practice of the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix ahead of qualifying later Saturday.
The thrilling three-way title battle will be decided on Sunday at the Yas Marina Circuit. McLaren driver Lando Norris is 12 points ahead of Red Bull's Verstappen and 16 ahead of McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri.
Verstappen is aiming for his fifth straight F1 title — Norris and Piastri are chasing their first. All three drivers have won seven races.
Mercedes driver George Russell led third practice ahead of Norris and Verstappen, with Piastri fifth.
Hamilton lost the rear of the Ferrari coming out of Turn 9 and spun full circle before sliding into the barriers, bringing out the red flag. He stepped out of the car and picked up some of the debris himself.
Hamilton owns F1 records for most wins (104) and pole positions (104) but called his own performance “ terrible ” this season.
The 40-year-old Briton won a sprint race in China in March, but nothing else this season. He has not even been on the podium in a main race this campaign.
Norris had a scare during third practice when he narrowly avoided running into the back of Yuki Tsunoda's Red Bull, swerving around him just in time.
Toward the end of practice, Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli lurched into the side of Tsunoda's Red Bull in the pit lane as Tsunoda was driving past him.
Norris showed good pace to lead Friday's first two practice sessions ahead of Verstappen.
Title showdown
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Taking the pole is crucial in Abu Dhabi, where overtaking is hard on the 58-lap circuit.
Every driver starting on pole has won the race since 2015. The last not to do so was Nico Rosberg a year earlier, when he was beaten by his then-Mercedes teammate Hamilton.
Norris will win the title if he's on the podium in Abu Dhabi. Even if Verstappen wins, the Dutchman needs Norris to be fourth or lower. If Piastri wins, he requires Norris to finish outside the top five.
McLaren rues errors
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Norris had the chance to wrap up the title at last week's Qatar Grand Prix but a botched strategy call by McLaren handed Verstappen the win, boosting his chances of a fifth straight title to equal Michael Schumacher's feat with Ferrari from 2000-04.
Verstappen's victory in Qatar was his 70th overall. His title chances were suddenly improved after Norris and Piastri were disqualified in Las Vegas.
Tense title raceAfter winning the Dutch GP on Aug. 31 for his seventh victory, Piastri led by Norris by 34 points and was 104 ahead of Verstappen, who had won just two races.
Piastri, who is looking to become the first Australian champion in 45 years, hasn't won in eight races since his Zandvoort win.
When Norris won the Brazil GP sprint race in early November, he moved 39 ahead of Verstappen with four races to go.
Verstappen also qualified in 16th for the main race in Sao Paulo and said he could “ forget about ” winning the title at that point.
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Earthquake off Indonesia topples buildings, kills 1, sets off small tsunami
Manado (Indonesia) (AP): An undersea earthquake of 7.4 magnitude toppled buildings in parts of northern Indonesia, sent people fleeing from their homes, killed at least one person and generated a small tsunami Thursday.
Waves up to 75 cm (30 inches) above normal tides were recorded at several monitoring stations about a half-hour after the earthquake, which was centred in the Molucca Sea.
Indonesia's meteorological agency lifted its tsunami warning hours after the quake, and the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said there was no destructive threat to the country, which is north of the quake's epicentre.
Strong shaking lasting 10 to 20 seconds was felt in Bitung in North Sulawesi province as well as in Ternate city in neighbouring North Maluku province, according to Indonesia's Disaster Management Agency.
Initial assessments showed light to severe damage in parts of Ternate, including a church and two houses. In Bitung, damage assessments were still underway, the agency said.
Indonesia's Search and Rescue Agency reported a 70-year-old woman died in a building collapse in North Sulawesi's Manado city and another resident was injured. At least three injured people were hospitalised in Ternate.
Videos released by the rescue agency showed damaged structures and flattened houses, while television stations broadcast scenes of people rushing outside and gathering in streets to avoid the risk of collapsing buildings.
Nearly 50 aftershocks were felt in nearby areas.
“We had just woken up and suddenly the earthquake hit... we all ran out of the house,” Bitung resident Marten Mandagi said. “The shaking was very strong.”
Indonesia, a vast archipelago of more than 280 million people, sits on major seismic faults and is frequently hit by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
