By Sean Chaney
**McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton set the fastest lap in first practice for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix after getting the better of Brawn’s Jenson Button.**At one stage the two Englishmen traded fastest times for four consecutive laps of the brand new Yas Marina circuit.
But Hamilton’s effort of one minute 43.939 seconds beat Button by just 0.096secs on the dusty Abu Dhabi track.
Many drivers, including world champion Button, struggled for grip as they explored the limits of the new circuit.
Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel was third quickest after his late hot lap, with Button’s Brawn team-mate Rubens Barrichello setting the fourth fastest time of the session.
Friday’s practice sessions are rarely reliable indicators of race pace as teams normally use the 90 minute run outs to plan their race strategies.
But Abu Dhabi’s opening session bucked that trend as cars poured onto the circuit to get a proper first look at the challenges of the 3.5 mile Yas Marina circuit.
Vettel reported on Red Bull team radio early in the session that track conditions were: “very, very dirty and dusty with very low grip off the racing line.”
More to follow