Arthur Leclerc will replace Hamilton in the first practice.

      In Abu Dhabi, Ferrari’s simulator driver Arthur Leclerc will get behind the wheel of Lewis Hamilton’s car in the first part of the free practice sessions…

      Question: In the first practice you will be working on track together with Charles. What are you feeling right now?

      Arthur Leclerc: Charles and I are always happy to work together. It’s nice and exciting to be sitting in cars in the neighboring pit boxes with my brother.

      From a technical standpoint, driving a real car on track is always very useful for drivers who primarily help the team on the simulator, like me. It helps provide higher-quality feedback.

      Question: What can you say about the track — is there a section you particularly like?

      Arthur Leclerc: My favorite section is the first sector, where you feel best the downforce these cars generate. Turns two and three are taken flat-out — they’re very fast. It’s one of those parts where you really feel the speed of Formula 1 cars; I always enjoy driving it.

      Question: How did you prepare for this practice and what do you hope to get from it?

      Arthur Leclerc: In terms of physical preparation, I mainly worked on my neck muscles, where the G-forces are felt most, and I also did cardio training.

      Of course, I spent a lot of time on the simulator to prepare as best as possible. My task is to provide useful feedback and gather as much data as possible to improve the correlation between the simulator in Maranello and the real track.