Leclerc quickest in F1’s post-season, Antonelli fifth after reduced day · RaceFans

Charles Leclerc was quickest in Formula 1’s sole day of post-season testing, as he again shared the track with his brother Arthur.

The Ferrari driver who finished third in the world championship set a quickest time of 1’23.510 and covered 134 laps.

Mercedes junior driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who was originally scheduled to do a full day’s running, missed the beginning of the test but joined in time to cover 62 laps, getting within four-tenths of a second of Leclerc’s best time. The pair were separated by Carlos Sainz Jnr, making his debut for Williams, George Russell in the other Mercedes and Nico Hulkenberg, on his first day with Sauber.

Frederik Vesti substituted for Antonelli early on in the session. He covered 55 laps and ended the test at the bottom of the times with Ferrari’s Antonio Fuoco, another driver who only ran earlier in the day when track conditions were less favourable.

Red Bull used the test to give Yuki Tsunoda his first opportunity to drive one of their cars. He and Isack Hadjar’s best lap times were within hundredths of a second of each other, the Formula 2 runner-up having already driven the RB20 in practice sessions twice this year.

Tsunoda raved about his first run in Max Verstappen’s world championship-winning machine. “It’s the first time in the past four years that I have driven a different car,” he said.

“You can physically feel why the RB20 has been fighting for a championship this year, it feels like a very different car to drive. We have had a very [productive] day today so I am really happy with that.”

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“I feel like the car suits my driving style and I haven’t struggled much at all to adapt,” he added, “even on the long runs I have been able to run consistently today and was able to feel the limitations of the car which, if you don’t have confidence in the car, you are unable to test.”

While McLaren’s IndyCar star Pato O’Ward had his latest run in one of the MCL38s, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri shared the other. Norris had a brief spin early on in the session without causing damage.