Leclerc quickest as Abu Dhabi F1 test ends

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc ended the last day of 2024 Formula 1 running on top at Abu Dhabi’s post-season test.

While testing 2025 tyre compounds for Pirelli, Leclerc set the fastest time over Tuesday’s nine-hour test at the Yas Marina circuit that hosted the season finale two days earlier.

In the cooler afternoon conditions after sunset Leclerc clocked a 1m23.510s to go top, completing 134 laps. At the time he demoted Mercedes driver George Russell who turned the same number of tours.

On his full Williams debut, which comprised 146 laps, Carlos Sainz also went quicker than Russell to go second one tenth behind the Briton, with Nico Hulkenberg taking fourth on his first day aboard the Sauber.

After sitting out the morning as he recovers from the flu, 2025 Mercedes rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli went fifth -quickest in the second W15 designated for young drivers.

Times from Tuesday’s test are all but meaningless given there is no exact information over which of Pirelli’s six tyre compounds teams have been running when, and that is without considering fuel loads and other parameters.

Teams enjoyed a relatively trouble-free day, other than a very brief red flag at the end for unknown reasons, handing Pirelli a pleasing amount of data and driver feedback to work with.

As was the case for Sainz and Hulkenberg, Tuesday’s post-season test was a great opportunity for Esteban Ocon to get his feet under his desk at his new Haas team, with the Frenchman sitting out the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to be released for the test. Ocon turned 119 laps in the VF-24 to end the day in 10th.

Hulkenberg’s 2025 Sauber team-mate and F2 champion Gabriel Bortoleto also made his debut for his new outfit.

Other notable appearances include Yuki Tsunoda, who was finally handed a first test in a Red Bull car and completed 127 laps, while the other Red Bull went to 2025 Racing Bulls hopeful and F2 runner-up Isack Hadjar.

McLaren IndyCar star Pato O’Ward received another testing chance for the recently crowned world champions, completing two full grand prix distances.

The Tuesday test brings down the curtains on the 2024 F1 season, with the next on-track action scheduled at Bahrain’s three-day winter test between 26-28 February.

The 2025 season opener will kick off with Melbourne’s Australian Grand Prix on 16 March.

Photos from the Abu Dhabi Test

Abu Dhabi F1 test – full results: