Leclerc heads Sainz to close out 2024

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc has ended the last day of running in 2024 on top at Formula 1’s Abu Dhabi 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 which 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, with Nico Hulkenberg taking fourth on his first day aboard the Sauber.

After sitting out the morning as he recovers from a flu, 2025 Mercedes rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli went fifth-quickest – on 2024 tyres, as were all rookies in the session – 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.

But it is worth pointing out that teams have all 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.

Carlos Sainz, Williams FW46

Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images

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 included 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 brought down the curtains on the 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.

F1 Abu Dhabi post-season test: Results