Just prior to the start of the opening Friday practice session for the 2010 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix there would be heavy rain but it would start to dry out quickly as the session got underway. Despite this the session was declared wet. There would be the usual rush of drivers coming out for their installation laps with Klien taking to the track first. Fairuz Fauzy was driving Kovalainen's Lotus for this session while Jerome d'Ambrosio hadn't replaced di Grassi this time. Both AT&T Williams drivers, Rubens Barrichello and Nico Hulkenberg, would complete their installation lap and would return to their pits. Several drivers would complete a second lap while Fauzy would spin his Lotus prior to returning to his pit.

Vettel was out on the track by himself running on the intermediate tyres but he would be joined by Glock and Kubica. Everyone would pit while Webber would return to the track, also on the intermediate tyres. He would also pit after a his lap leaving the track empty. Glock would come back out with just over an hour and ten minutes remaining. Glock would again pit while Petrov would leave the pit lane to check the track conditions. Shortly after he was joined by Button and Schumacher. Glock would pit again followed by Button. Schumacher would also pit as Hamilton came out also on the intermediates, with the field looking to wait until the track dried further before coming out. Nico was out of his car on the pit wall taking to other Williams team members.

Hamilton would pit leaving the track empty with an hour left in the session. Next out was Rosberg as the track continued to dry. Both McLaren's would return to the track while Rosberg would run wide at Turn one but would pit. Both McLaren's had also come back in again leaving the track empty. With just over forty five minutes remaining no times had been set as Button again came out. He was joined by Petrov and Nico would make his first run. Button was again on the intermediate tyres but he would quickly pit again. Petrov was out on a lap with slick tyres on his Renault as Buemi took to the track. Petrov would set the first time with a 1m:51.465 but he was passed by Nico with a 1m:51.207. Liuzzi was on the track with forty minutes remaining.

Massa and Alguersuari would be the next drivers out on the track as both Petrov and Nico would improve. Petrov set a 1m:50.370 while Nico set a 1m:48.863. Both Alonso and Webber were also out on the track while Buemi set a 1m:51.513. Petrov was again faste3st with a 1m:47.794 while Nico set a 1m:47.828. Liuzzi was now fourth as both Lotus cars took to the track. Massa was now third with a 1m:48.886 while more drivers came out including Rubens. Nico would remain in second behind Petrov with an improved time of 1m:47.828. Petrov would set a 1m:46.861 with Liuzzi now third from Buemi, and Webber. Massa was now second, 1m:47.280, from Nico, Liuzzi, Buemi, Alguersuari, Webber, Di Grassi, and Alonso in ninth. Petrov would again improve with a 1m:46.028, continuing to set the early pace.

Alonso was now second, 1m:46.419, from Webber now in third. Massa would pit from fourth while Nico was now fifth. Only four cars were still in their pits, including both McLaren's. Rubens was now ninth, 1m:50.092, but this would become tenth as Liuzzi moved up to fourth from sixth. Nico had pitted currently in sixth with thirty minutes remaining. Alonso was now fastest with a 1m:45.807 with Kubica moving into third, 1m:46.180. Webber was now fastest with a time of 1m:45.177 from Alonso and Petrov. Nico had dropped to tenth and Rubens fourteenth. Vettel was now fifth, 1m:46.363, while Heidfeld would put in a quick lap moving in to third, 1m:45.998. Schumacher was now seventh, 1m:46.499, while Vettel would show his pace going fastest with a time of 1m:44.274. But Kubica would move into second, 1m:44.894, while Webber would respond to Vettel going fastest with a 1m:43.840.

Rubens was able to find some pace jumping up to tenth, 1m:46.208, but this would become eleventh as we had Alguersuari and Button move into seventh and eighth. On his next lap Button would improve to be fourth, 1m:45.056, but Schumacher would take this spot with a 1m:45.029. Nico was now sixteenth and still in his pit. Rubens had dropped to twelfth. Rosberg would follow his Mercedes team-mate jumping up to third, 1m:44.718. So we had Webber fastest, 1m:43.840, from Vettel, Rosberg, Kubica, Heidfeld, Schumacher, Button, Sutil, and Kobayashi in in tenth. Rubens was now fourteenth and Nico seventeenth. Massa was now eighth, 1m:45.160, as Button moved up to third with a time of 1m:44.041. Kobayashi was now sixth, 1m:45.007, as Rubens pitted. Both Red Bull cars had pitted as we still had yet to see a time from Hamilton.

With eighteen minutes remaining a large number of drivers weer back in their pits looking over their data. Heidfeld was able to move back up to seventh, 1m:44.737, while Schumacher was now fifth with a 1m:44.666. Hamilton's first time was a slow 1m:53.222 as Vettel returned to the track. Alonso was now fifth with a time of 1m:44.121 while team-mate Massa was in tenth. Nico would finally return to the track having been in his pit fro a considerable length of time. Hamilton would quickly show his pace moving into second with a time of 1m:43.862. Webber had returned to the track with fourteen minutes remaining. Vettel was now fastest with a 1m:43.477 with Webber second from Hamilton. Alonso and Kobayashi were in sixth and seventh while Rubens was now fifteenth and Nico eighteenth.

Hamilton would move ahead of Webber with a 1m:43.772 with team-mate button fourth. With ten minutes of the session left the track was now very busy as Nico would pit again while Hamilton would improve with a 1m:43.369 but remained in second. Both Ferrari's were in their pits as both Williams cars took to the track. Hamilton would pit while for Nico he was a massive 4.1 seconds off the pace. Things were not much better for Rubens who as 3.0 seconds off the pace. Schumacher would move up one spot to seventh with 1m:44.199. Five minutes remaining and the force India pair were in thirteenth and fifteenth. Rubens and Nico were now in sixteenth and eighteenth. Button was now up to third, 1m:43.785, seeing Webber drop to fourth. Vettel would improve setting a quicker time of 1m:42.760. The whole field was out on the track with ninety seconds left. Rubens had found a few tenths to move up to thirteenth, 1m:45.474, while Nico was still in eighteenth.

So with the end of the session Vettel was fastest from Hamilton, Button, Webber, Kubica, Alonso, Schumacher, Kobayashi, Rosberg, and Heidfeld. Nico had found two tenths to move up one place to be seventeenth. But hew was still 3.8 seconds off the pace. Rubens would remain in thirteenth with the drivers been allowed to make a practice start from the grid as there is no opportunity to test a start at the pit exit. Not the most of encouraging of starts with both Williams drivers well off the pace and for Rubens he would have further difficulties stopping on the track in the second sector. He would pull off the track with what appeared to be a loss of drive two thirds of the way down the back straight. Rubens would get out of his car and wait for his car to be recovered by the marshals.

Pos  Driver         	Team		       Time       Laps
 1.  Vettel    		Red Bull-Renault       1m42.760s  18
 2.  Hamilton      	McLaren-Mercedes       1m43.369s  16
 3.  Button       	McLaren-Mercedes       1m43.785s  19
 4.  Webber         	Red Bull-Renault       1m43.840s  19
 5.  Kubica       	Renault                1m44.080s  19
 6.  Alonso     	Ferrari                1m44.121s  17
 7.  Schumacher  	Mercedes               1m44.199s  19
 8.  Kobayashi     	Sauber-Ferrari         1m44.604s  18
 9.  Rosberg        	Mercedes               1m44.718s  19
10.  Heidfeld       	Sauber-Ferrari         1m44.737s  19
11.  Massa        	Ferrari                1m45.160s  18
12.  Petrov       	Renault                1m45.445s  21
13.  Barrichello  	A&T Williams-Cosworth  1m45.474s  15
14.  Sutil        	Force India-Mercedes   1m45.552s  20
15.  Liuzzi        	Force India-Mercedes   1m45.585s  14
16.  Alguersuari   	Toro Rosso-Ferrari     1m46.003s  20
17.  Hulkenberg     	AT&T Williams-Cosworth 1m46.644s  19
18.  Buemi     		Toro Rosso-Ferrari     1m47.105s  22
19.  Glock          	Virgin-Cosworth        1m48.450s  19
20.  Trulli        	Lotus-Cosworth         1m48.472s  17
21.  di Grassi     	Virgin-Cosworth        1m49.375s  13
22.  Senna         	Hispania-Cosworth      1m49.590s  18
23.  Klien     		Hispania-Cosworth      1m50.274s  17
24.  Fauzy        	Lotus-Cosworth         1m51.705s  18