The Mercedes driver sits 17 points clear of team-mate Nico Rosberg at the top of the drivers' championship, with double points on offer at the final race of the season at Yas Marina Circuit.
And, as the final chequered flag of 2014 draws near, Friday's first practice session threw up a familiar tale, with the Mercedes duo head and shoulders above their rivals.
Hamilton and Rosberg traded quick laps, but it was the championship leader - needing to finish second to claim the title if his team-mate takes the win on Sunday - who came out on top by posting a time of one minute and 43.476 seconds.
Rosberg came up 0.133 seconds short of his colleague, while Fernando Alonso (+1.708secs) - who confirmed on Thursday he is leaving Ferrari after this weekend - went third fastest.
Alonso's replacement at Ferrari Sebastian Vettel (+1.858secs) and Red Bull team-mate Daniel Ricciardo (+1.885secs) ended the session in fourth and fifth respectively, but it proved to be a dismal run-out for Williams.
The cars of both Valtteri Bottas (+2.437secs) and Felipe Massa (+3.073secs) suffered bodywork issues to limit the drivers to eight and seven laps respectively, while Jenson Button (+3.759secs), who may leave F1 at the end of the season, watched much of the session on television due to an issue with his McLaren.
Beleaguered Caterham made it to Abu Dhabi this weekend with the help of crowd funding and it proved to be a difficult baptism for debuting driver Will Stevens, who - after being held up a by a fire extinguisher malfunction - was almost 12 seconds off the pace on his first recorded lap.
The 23-year-old did improve before the end of the session, though - finishing 7.208 seconds slower than Hamilton.