Leclerc tops post-season F1 test in Abu Dhabi

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc has topped the post-season Abu Dhabi test ahead of Williams’ newcomer Carlos Sainz as the Formula 1 season draws to a close.

Feature image credit: Scuderia Ferrari

The remaining Ferrari driver of 2024, Leclerc topped the timing boards ahead of his now-former teammate Sainz as the teams and drivers took to the track in their 2024 cars for the final time this season. 

The Monegasque was driving the team’s car which had been designated to complete the Pirelli’s Tyre test which all teams up and down the grid had a car for such purpose. In this machine, the Monegasque and his fellow tyre testers were testing out Pirelli’s 2025-specification tyres as the teams gathered data for the supplier. 

A total of 23 drivers were out on track in the Yas Marina circuit with current F1 drivers completing tyre tests whereas rookies, drivers who have two or fewer grand prix starts, were in the other cars as the team’s ‘young driver’ tests.

Some of these drivers included the incoming 2025 rookies such as Jack Doohan, Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Gabriel Bortoleto who took the opportunity to bed in early with their new teams; Alpine, Mercedes and Sauber respectively. 

Leclerc topped the timing boards with a quick lap of 1m 23.510s ahead of Sainz and Mercedes driver George Russell. Sauber’s new-experienced driver Nico Hulkenberg topped fourth ahead of Antonelli who completed the top five. 

Your line-up for the 2024 post-season test in Abu Dhabi 👀👇#F1 #Formula1 pic.twitter.com/rlhvlCWSuW

— Formula 1 (@F1) December 10, 2024

Ayumu Iwasa was sixth for RB ahead of McLaren’s Pato O’Ward, Doohan and Alpine’s newest reserve driver Paul Aron in seventh, eighth and ninth respectively. Haas’ Esteban Ocon completed the top 10 with a lap time of 1m 24.305s. 

Williams’ Luke Browning was 11th in the order ahead of Haas’ Ryo Hirakawa and RB’s Liam Lawson, in 12th and 13th. Ferrari’s Arthur Leclerc, 14th, got the opportunity to share the session once more with his Brother Charles as the teams shared ‘young driver’ ahead of Antonio Fuoco who was 23rd in the order, and last with a time of 1m 25.238s.

Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar and Yuki Tsunoda, who is testing for the senior team whilst Lawson completed such duty for the sister team, completed the order in 15th and 16th. Newly-crowned constructors champions McLaren squeezed in the middle and behind the Red Bull pair as full-time driver Lando Norris finished 16th ahead of Oscar Piastri in 19th. 

Bortoleto finished in between both Tsunoda and Piastri in 18th. 

The two Aston Martin drivers Jak Crawford and Felipe Drugovich completed the session for the team in 20th and 21st ahead of Mercedes’ Fred Vesti who finished 22nd, ahead of Fuoco. 

Read more Formula 1 here:

• Why is the post-season Abu Dhabi F1 test important?
• FIA confirm details of Max Verstappen’s swearing penalty punishment
• Who Finished Where: F1 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
• Norris wins F1 Abu Dhabi GP securing McLaren constructors title
• Hamilton to go to grid after F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix per post-race procedure
• Hulkenberg slapped with three-place grid penalty for overtaking on pit exit

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Kamron Kent

Hi, I’m Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion.

I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I’ve loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.

Kamron Kent

Hi, I'm Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion. I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I've loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.