The curtain falls on the 2024 Formula 1 season with the closing of the post-season tests in Abu Dhabi. The day, divided into two sessions, saw Charles Leclerc set the fastest overall time, while Carlos Sainz impressed on his Williams debut, setting the second fastest time.
Leclerc finishes top of Abu Dhabi testing
The Monegasque Ferrari driver ended the day at the top of the timesheets with a time of 1:23.510, around a second slower than Lando Norris’ pole position from the last race weekend. With 170 laps completed in post-season testing in Abu Dhabi, Leclerc once again proved himself to be a sure thing for the Prancing Horse, continuing work on the development of Pirelli’s 2025 tyres.
Sainz immediately protagonist with Williams
Carlos Sainz wasted no time in making his mark in his new adventure with Williams. With 146 laps completed and a best time of 1:23.635, the Spaniard positioned himself just behind his former teammate Leclerc. Sainz's debut at the Grove team was greeted with enthusiasm, demonstrating that the Williams-Sainz pairing could be competitive as early as 2025.
Mercedes solid, Antonelli good on debut
Third fastest was George Russell, who completed 218 laps, a sign of the great reliability shown by Mercedes. Alongside him, the young Andrea Kimi Antonelli he made his official F1 debut after missing the final round of F2 due to illness. Despite not being in perfect physical condition, the young Italian talent finished with a time of 1:23.873, less than a tenth behind his teammate, completing 62 laps.
The other protagonists
Among the rookies, good performances by Jack Doohan with Alpine and Gabriel Bortoleto with Sauber, both busy collecting valuable data for their first full year in F1Also on the track were Arthur Leclerc and Antonio Fuoco, who alternated in the second Ferrari: the two finished in 14th and 23rd position respectively.
The Abu Dhabi tests officially close the 2024 season and kick off a forced break from on-track activities. For the teams, the work now moves to the factories, where the development of the 2025 cars will continue ahead of pre-season testing.
