Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton traded places at the front during the first practice session at the inaugural Abu Dhabi GP this morning, and it was good.

The incoming and outgoing World Champions made a fine show of it, and if their dueling was anything to go by, then Sunday’s race should be a gloves-off cracker.

The track is still pretty green and will get quicker during the weekend as more rubber gets laid down around the circuit, so expect times to fall, even in this afternoon’s second session.

Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel was quick enough for fourth, followed by Button’s teammate Rubens Barrichello in the sister Brawn.

Rubens has made his biggest hint yet that he’ll be off to Williams for 2010, saying that he’s definitely looking at them and that they’re a team “on the way up”.

So it could be a straight swap with Williams’ exiting driver Nico Rosberg, as we mentioned yesterday.

Talking of driver changes, Kimi Raikkonen has said that his only option for next year, after leaving Ferrari, is to go to McLaren.

The Finn said that he’ll know the situation in the next few days, and that he’s not even thought about Toyota, who have been dropping large hints that they’ve been looking at him.

Toyota also look likely to lose Timo Glock for next season, with the German saying that the possibilities for him to stay there are low.

It’s expected he’ll sign up to drive alongside Robert Kubica at Renault.

You can see the first practice results here at BBC Sport, where you’ll also be able to watch second practice at 13:00 UK time.

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