while Sam Butler (groin) and Liam Duggan (calf) are sidelined with

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates -- Lewis Hamilton warmed up for his bid to wrestle the Formula One title from Mercedes rival Nico Rosberg with the fastest time in the first two practice sessions Friday at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.The defending champion, who is seeking a third straight title and fourth overall, overcame a minor scare when he lost control of the rear of his car in the first session then dealt with some balance issues on his wheels in the second.He was .079 seconds quicker than Rosberg in the second practice after beating him by.374 seconds in the first.It will be a welcome boost for Hamilton, who trails Rosberg by 12 points heading into Sundays race.Were in a good position for tomorrow. Pole (position) is the goal for tomorrow, Hamilton said. I havent managed it at this track for a long time but I know Im quick here, the car feels great and theres still some time in it.But even if Hamilton wins the race, Rosberg needs only to finish third to be crowned champion for the first time.Both have won nice races in a topsy-turvy season that started with Rosberg taking complete control after winning the first four races while Hamilton struggled with engine troubles. The title race then went in Hamiltons favor only for Rosberg to seize the initiative back.We underestimate the pressure these guys are under, Mercedes head of motorsport Toto Wolff said. Sometimes you have to allow the drivers to express their feelings and emotions. You dont want to streamline them too much.Meanwhile, Sebastian Vettel was third best in the evening session -- encouragingly only .269 behind Hamilton -- but he had to go back to the Ferrari garage, saying over race radio that he suspected gearbox failure.However, because the engine was being used for practice he will not incur a penalty for a gearbox change.Ferraris performance in the evening gave Vettel encouragement that the car can push Mercedes in Saturdays qualifying.Overall the car felt good and I think we should have good pace, Vettel said. Hopefully tomorrow well have a similar feeling in qualifying and put the car where it belongs.Dutch teenager Max Verstappen was third in the first practice and fourth in the second, where the Red Bull driver was troubled by some tire issues.We had a few issues with the car today which meant aborting the last run was the sensible thing to do, the 19-year-old Verstappen said. Nothing is broken and there is nothing to worry about, just safe to stop early. The grip is always a bit difficult here.The 2010 title, won dramatically by Vettel, and the 2014 title, won by Hamilton, also both went down to the wire in Abu Dhabi.Its down to the last race. Its all coming up: the frustrations and the happy moments, said Wolff, praising the mental strength of his drivers. I find it very remarkable how theyve managed their relationship for the benefit of the team.The race begins at 5 p.m. local time and ends with night falling on the desert track and temperatures still warm, but dropping with a late breeze.Adapting to that and knowing what to expect can be a challenge, Rosberg said. But our car was working well in both conditions. Niklas Sule Germany Jersey .com) - The game was all punts and field goals before Kodi Whitfields catch. Marvin Plattenhardt Germany Jersey . But by the time the game started, the Toronto Raptors forward felt even worse. 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ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates -- Next years Formula One championship promises to showcase young driving talent keen to emulate 19-year-old rising star Max Verstappen.Goodbye Felipe Massa, hello Lance Stroll.So long Jenson Button, welcome Stoffel Vandoorne.As 30-somethings Massa and Button leave F1 with more than 550 races between them, they will be replaced by the 18-year-old Stroll and the 24-year-old Vandoorne -- two of the fresh faces on a new-look grid.Stroll is taking Massas seat at Williams, while Vandoorne is replacing Button at McLaren.Others, like Frenchman Esteban Ocon, will be keen to make an impression in the way Verstappen has done.Verstappen, the youngest driver to win an F1 race when he won the Spanish GP in May when still 18, already has seven podium finishes.But the others are largely untested.Vandoorne has raced once this year, as a stand-in for Fernando Alonso at the Bahrain GP in April, while Ocon has nine races after making his F1 debut at the Belgian GP in August.But it will be new territory for Stroll, the son of Canadian billionaire investor Lawrence Stroll.Williams announced earlier this month that Stroll would be taking the seat vacated by Massa, who is retiring.Stroll, who was part of the prestigious Ferrari driver academy, won this years European Formula 3 championship by a large margin.I want to be a quick driver -- maybe the quickest one day, he said. If Williams didnt think that I am ready, I wouldnt be here.Williams deputy team principal Claire Williams certainly thinks he is.Hes absolutely got the talent. We are going to have high expectations of him next year, she said. Anyone that has met Lance knows and understands that he deserves that promotion into Formula One. Hes extremely intelligent, a very quick learner.Stroll will be the youngest driver on the grid and F1s youngest since Verstappen made his debut last year at 17.Stroll, the first Canadian in F1 since 1997 champiion Jacques Villeneuve, has been financially backed by his father since he was eight.ddddddddddddithout that (backing) I wouldnt have been able to move from Canada to Europe and pursue my dream, he said. No matter how much money you have, if you are not able to be quicker than the rest you dont get anywhere.His fathers influence helped his son get a taste for the sport.I watched F1 races with my dad early on Sunday mornings in Canada when I was very young. Then I got hooked, Stroll said. When I look back at those days, it was fantastic sharing this passion for motorsport with my dad. Michael Schumacher was also a huge inspiration for me.Vandoorne, meanwhile, won the GP2 series last year, and is so highly rated that Mercedes head of motorsport Toto Wolff said in August that McLaren would be crazy not to take him.Filling in for Alonso in Bahrain, the Belgian driver made an immediate impression.In qualifying, he was actually faster than Button -- the 2009 F1 champion -- and finished a creditable 10th in the race.Ocon made his F1 debut a month before his 20th birthday. He began this year racing for Mercedes in Germanys DTM touring car championship and was a reserve driver for Renault until the Manor F1 team snapped him up.He will have a quicker car when he joins Force India next season on a multi-year contract, replacing German Nico Hulkenberg, who will drive for Renault.Ocon has strong credentials, winning the European F3 series in 2014. That year, Verstappen finished third.As much as its sad to be losing a couple of the Formula One legend drivers, its going to be really exciting next year, Williams said.The first race of the season is the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on April 26, where German driver Nico Rosberg will defend his title after clinching it at Sundays Abu Dhabi GP. ' ' '