GP3 driver and Haas F1 development driver Charles Leclerc has confirmed that he will not take part in first practice for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
The Monegasque driver has completed several FP1 outings for Haas, most recently at the Brazilian Grand Prix.
He is currently leading the GP3 standings with two races at the Yas Marina Circuit remaining, with a 29-point advantage over Alexander Albon.
Leclerc has been forced to give up his FP1 run in Abu Dhabi, due to the tight timetable, so he can focus on winning the GP3 title.
He confirmed the news on social media, admitting the time difference between FP1 and GP3 qualifying was too small to do both sessions.
A really hard decision to make but I won't be driving in Abu Dhabi during the Free Practice 1 with @HaasF1Team because of the timetable. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/mXW0vcQODt
— Charles Leclerc (@Charles_Leclerc) November 17, 2016
I want to be 100% focus on my GP3 title. Doing the FP1 would have mean, I had to jump from the F1 straight into GP3's qualifying. 😕 2/2
— Charles Leclerc (@Charles_Leclerc) November 17, 2016
