Charles Leclerc set the tempo forward of former teammate Carlos Sainz because the 2024 Method 1 season got here to a conclusion with testing in Abu Dhabi.
All groups had been allowed to run two vehicles on the one-day check, one for a rookie driver who has began not more than two grands prix, and one for tire testing functions for Pirelli. Leclerc was collaborating in the whole day for Ferrari and topped the instances with a 1m23.510, beating Sainz on his first official outing for Williams by 0.125s.
Sainz had taken half in a filming day for Williams on Monday on the Yas Marina Circuit, however that came about on demonstration tires and with restricted mileage. Tuesday was his first probability to actually drive the FW46 in anger, and the Spaniard loved a particularly productive day, finishing 146 laps and spending most of it on the high of the timing screens.
Of extra significance to Sainz was the chance to really feel the variations between the Williams and Ferrari vehicles, and get used to procedures and settings, permitting him to supply suggestions for areas to work on over the winter. The identical will be stated of Nico Hulkenberg on his first look for Sauber, with the German fourth quickest with a 1m23.789 and one in every of a number of drivers to exceed 100 laps.
Whereas Hulkenberg was getting used to a brand new manner of working after leaving Haas, he ended up sandwiched between two drivers in acquainted equipment as Mercedes pair George Russell and Kimi Antonelli had been third and fifth respectively. Antonelli had been because of drive for the whole day however an sickness had dominated him out of the ultimate Method 2 weekend and he was nonetheless recovering, so reserve driver Fred Vesti was behind the wheel for the morning, earlier than Antonelli managed 62 laps after lunch.
Pato O’Ward had one other robust outing for McLaren with the seventh quickest time and 116 laps below his belt, at a monitor the place he struggled together with his neck on his testing debut again in 2021. O’Ward drove for the whole day whereas McLaren cut up working within the tire check automotive between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
Alpine pair Jack Doohan and Paul Aron additionally drove for the total day, with Aron making his debut in present equipment simply over per week after being confirmed as an Alpine reserve driver for 2025. The Estonian – who was third on this 12 months’s F2 championship – solely obtained the nod to drive on Sunday night time however ended up 0.007s off Doohan’s finest time and accomplished 121 laps to his team-mate’s 137.
Rounding out the highest ten was the driving force Doohan changed, with Esteban Ocon making his debut for Haas. The Frenchman needed to wait quarter-hour earlier than beginning his working however managed over 100 laps and posted a finest time of 1m24.305.
There have been different notable performances from rookies Luke Browning and Ryo Hirakawa in eleventh and twelfth for Williams and Haas respectively, whereas Liam Lawson in thirteenth had the best lap rely with 159 on what might properly show to be his final outing for RB. RACER understands Lawson is ready to exchange Sergio Perez at Pink Bull, as soon as an settlement is reached concerning the latter’s departure.
That information shall be a disappointment to Yuki Tsunoda who had his first outing in present Pink Bull equipment and managed 127 laps throughout tire testing, ending up simply 0.011s slower than Abu Dhabi Grand Prix winner Norris. The McLaren driver was additionally answerable for one of many few yellow flags throughout a remarkably clear day of working, spinning at Flip 14 within the morning session.
The one different interruptions had been a Digital Security Automotive required to clear particles from Flip 7 mid-afternoon, and a spin for Isack Hadjar on the similar nook earlier than a really late purple flag briefly interrupted proceedings for a barrier verify within the ultimate sector.
From an American perspective, Jak Crawford made his debut within the 2024 Aston Martin as a part of the younger driver testing and set a 1m24.997, edging out Felipe Drugovich within the sister automotive by 0.017s.