'Just saying hello': Touching moment as Charles and Arthur Leclerc make F1 history in Abu Dhabi

What a way to say hello.

Charles Leclerc and his younger brother Arthur drove side-by-side in matching Ferraris at the end of the first practice session for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

"Just saying hello to my brother," Arthur told the team over the radio after Charles gave him a wave on their slowdown lap at the Yas Marina Circuit.

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Brothers have raced in F1 before — Michael and Ralf Schumacher both won races — but F1 said the Leclerc brothers from Monaco were the first to be teammates in an official session as part of a championship race weekend.

The 24-year-old Arthur Leclerc, who previously drove in Formula 2, was borrowing Carlos Sainz's car thanks to a rule that teams must give younger and less experienced drivers practice time at least twice per season.

Charles Leclerc said his family was flying in to Abu Dhabi to watch the brothers.

"It will be a very special moment," he said in a team statement earlier in the weekend.

"Because to a certain extent it means that all the sacrifices my family made will have served a purpose."

At one stage, the family reportedly had to pause Arthur's career when he was a teenager because of the financial demands of supporting Charles in his rise toward F1.

Charles was fastest in first practice but his session began with a major setback as Ferrari had to replace the battery pack on his car. That led to an expected 10-place grid penalty for Sunday's race and a heavy blow to the team's hopes of beating McLaren to the constructors' title.

A bout of food poisoning and the time required to change the battery left Leclerc in some doubt he'd get the chance to take to the track at all alongside his younger brother.

Arthur finished the session 18th, nearly two seconds slower than his brother's quickest time.

Five other teams gave practice time to drivers who won't be racing Sunday, including F2 driver Isack Hadjar in champion Max Verstappen's Red Bull and former F2 champion Felipe Drugovich taking over Lance Stroll's Aston Martin.

Later, Norris was fastest in the second session from teammate Oscar Piastri, while Nico Hulkenberg was a surprise third fastest for Haas. Sainz was the fastest Ferrari in fourth.

McLaren goes into the race with a 21-point lead over Ferrari in the constructors' standings. Even a one-two finish wouldn't be enough for Ferrari if the McLarens were third and fourth.

Either team can end a long wait. McLaren hasn’t won the lucrative prize for teams since 1998 and Ferrari’s last win was in 2008.

“Even with the penalty, I wouldn't be surprised if we can see (Ferrari) very rapidly fighting for the front,” McLaren team principal Andrea Stella said.

"So nothing changes. We keep remaining calm, focused and full of energy."

Doohan leads new wave of rookies

Hamilton's move to Ferrari shocked F1 when it was announced in February, and it set off a chain reaction of driver moves elsewhere.

Next year will have its largest influx of young drivers in years as established names switch teams or leave the grid.

One of the new faces is on the grid in Abu Dhabi after Alpine opted to give Jack Doohan an early taste of F1. He replaces Esteban Ocon for the last race of the season.

Doohan, a 21-year-old Australian, is the son of motorcycle racing great Mick Doohan.

He was 19th fastest in both practices Friday.

There is one more practice session on Saturday evening (AEDT), before qualifying at 1am Sunday.

The final race of the season begins midnight Monday (AEDT).