Charles Leclerc dominated F1’s Abu Dhabi test, setting the pace as Carlos Sainz impressed in his Williams debut at Yas Marina.
Leclerc ended the post-season testing day in Abu Dhabi on top. The Monegasque driver set the fastest lap of 1’23.510 after completing 134 laps at the Yas Marina Circuit.
Teams worked tirelessly throughout the day, splitting duties between an experienced driver tasked with testing Pirelli’s 2025 compounds and a rookie gaining their first taste of Formula 1.
Leclerc led his former teammate Carlos Sainz, now driving for Williams, who completed 146 laps in the FW46. George Russell placed third with his Mercedes, just over two-tenths off Leclerc’s benchmark set late in the day.
Nico Hülkenberg, driving the Sauber for the first time, was fourth with 113 laps. Andrea Kimi Antonelli secured fifth with Mercedes, covering 62 laps at the Emirati circuit.
Ayumu Iwasa finished sixth for RB F1, completing 110 laps, ahead of Pato O’Ward, who managed 116 laps with McLaren. Alpine’s Jack Doohan and Paul Aron took eighth and ninth, separated by just seven thousandths, with the Australian completing 137 laps, 16 more than his teammate.
Esteban Ocon, pictured below, made his Haas debut and rounded out the top 10 with 119 laps. Luke Browning logged 105 laps for Williams, while Ryo Hirakawa completed 133 in the Haas VF-24 to finish 12th.
Liam Lawson, the most active driver on Tuesday, completed 159 laps for RB F1 to take 13th. He was followed by Arthur Leclerc, who drove the Ferrari in the afternoon, and Isack Hadjar, who completed 125 laps with Red Bull.
Lando Norris ranked 16th after a half-day session, ahead of Yuki Tsunoda, who managed 127 laps in the Red Bull RB20. Gabriel Bortoleto finished 18th with 130 laps in the Sauber.
He was followed by Oscar Piastri, Jak Crawford, and Felipe Drugovich, with the latter two completing 109 and 146 laps, respectively, for Aston Martin. Frederik Vesti and Antonio Fuoco, who ran morning sessions for Mercedes and Ferrari, closed out the standings.
This marked the official end of the 2024 season, concluding with a productive day of testing for teams and Pirelli, who now finalize their 2025 tire range.
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Time | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari SF-24 | 1:23.510 | 134 |
| 02 | Carlos Sainz | Williams Mercedes FW46 | 1:23.635 | 146 |
| 03 | George Russell | Mercedes W15 | 1:23.789 | 134 |
| 04 | Nico Hülkenberg | Stake F1 Kick Sauber C44 | 1:23.856 | 113 |
| 05 | Andrea Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes W15 | 1:23.873 | 62 |
| 06 | Ayumu Iwasa | RB Honda RBPT VCARB 01 | 1:24.100 | 110 |
| 07 | Patricio O’Ward | McLaren Mercedes MCL38 | 1:24.222 | 116 |
| 08 | Jack Doohan | Alpine Renault A524 | 1:24.268 | 137 |
| 09 | Paul Aron | Alpine Renault A524 | 1:24.275 | 121 |
| 10 | Esteban Ocon | Haas Ferrari VF-24 | 1:24.305 | 119 |
| 11 | Luke Browning | Williams Mercedes FW46 | 1:24.375 | 105 |
| 12 | Ryo Hirakawa | Haas Ferrari VF-24 | 1:24.435 | 133 |
| 13 | Liam Lawson | RB Honda RBPT VCARB 01 | 1:24.440 | 159 |
| 14 | Arthur Leclerc | Ferrari SF-24 | 1:24.576 | 68 |
| 15 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull Honda RBPT RB20 | 1:24.632 | 125 |
| 16 | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes MCL38 | 1:24.678 | 84 |
| 17 | Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull Honda RBPT RB20 | 1:24.689 | 127 |
| 18 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Stake F1 Kick Sauber C44 | 1:24.738 | 130 |
| 19 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren Mercedes MCL38 | 1:24.838 | 72 |
| 20 | Jak Crawford | Aston Martin Mercedes AMR24 | 1:24.997 | 109 |
| 21 | Felipe Drugovich | Aston Martin Mercedes AMR24 | 1:25.014 | 146 |
| 22 | Frederik Vesti | Mercedes W15 | 1:25.159 | 55 |
| 23 | Antonio Fuoco | Ferrari SF-24 | 1:25.238 | 73 |
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F1 Testing in Abu Dhabi: Leclerc Tops Ahead of Sainz’s Williams F1 Testing in Abu Dhabi: Leclerc Tops Ahead of Sainz’s Williams
