Lewis Hamilton has released a statement after attending the F1 drivers’ dinner ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix this weekend

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Lewis Hamilton preparing for the F1 Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi (Image: Getty)

Fernando Alonso, Nico Hulkenberg and Lance Stroll were absent from the F1 drivers’ end-of-season dinner. As has become an annual tradition, those on the grid put their rivalries aside for a night out ahead of the final GP of the season.

However, only 17 of the 20 drivers who race in F1 were present. The drivers, excluding the Aston Martin teammates and Hulkenberg, went to a restaurant in Abu Dhabi with several of them posting about it on social media.

Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, who has endured a difficult first season at Ferrari, said on Instagram: “Class of 2025. We’re the only people in the world to do what we do and for that we’re incredibly lucky.

“I’m grateful for this group of drivers I have the privilege of racing against and even though we’re competitors, there’s nothing but respect and I’m proud to call them friends. Hope to give you all a great last race of the season,” alongside a red love heart emoji.

McLaren’s Lando Norris captioned it: “Traditions (no food was thrown during this dinner),” while George Russell branded it the “yearly dinner with the boys”.

Red Bull ace Yuki Tsunoda, who has been replaced as the team’s second driver for 2026, joked that there was a “white shirt dress code, not all of us got the memo”.

The drivers have this week been preparing for the season finale in Abu Dhabi this weekend. There is still a world title to be decided, with Norris, Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri battling it out to become the best driver on the planet.Ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Norris is 12 points clear of second-place Max Verstappen with Piastri 16 points behind the Brit in the title race.
Lewis Hamilton replaced at Abu Dhabi Grand Prix | F1 | Sport | Express.co.uk
And in the first practice session on Friday, Norris and Verstappen were tied almost side-by-side at the top. Norris’ McLaren headed Verstappen’s Red Bull by just 0.008 seconds, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc third and Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli fourth.

The other title contender, Norris’ team-mate Piastri, sat out the first session as IndyCar driver Pato O’Ward completed one of McLaren’s mandatory ‘rookie’ runs.