Leclerc Tops Abu Dhabi Post-Season Testing As Sainz Makes His Williams Debut

Add as a preferred source on Google

Charles Leclerc of Ferrari led the timesheets during the post-season testing session in Abu Dhabi. He narrowly edged out Carlos Sainz, his former teammate and now a Williams driver, by 0.125 seconds. This session at Yas Marina Circuit marked the end of the 2024 season, featuring a combined Pirelli tyre evaluation and young driver test.

George Russell from Mercedes secured the third spot, while Nico Hulkenberg, formerly with Haas, took fourth place on his second debut with Sauber. Meanwhile, Gabriel Bortoleto, Hulkenberg's new teammate and Formula Two champion, made his debut for the Swiss team but finished 18th.

Kimi Antonelli joined the action later in the day after recovering from illness. Driving the Mercedes W15, he achieved a fifth-place finish. McLaren's Pato O'Ward secured seventh place, followed by Jack Doohan who debuted for Alpine last weekend at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Paul Aron, newly confirmed as Alpine's reserve driver for 2025, was ninth-fastest in his first F1 outing. Esteban Ocon, recently signed by Haas, completed the top ten. The session provided valuable experience for these young drivers as they prepare for future opportunities in Formula One.

Liam Lawson finished 13th for Red Bull and completed more laps than any other driver—159 in total. Yuki Tsunoda had his first experience driving a Red Bull F1 car and ended up 17th. Lando Norris of McLaren finished just ahead of Tsunoda after winning last Sunday's season-ending race.

The next Formula One season is set to begin in March 2025 with the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne kicking off the campaign. Teams are already preparing for what promises to be another thrilling year of racing action.