Sainz makes Williams debut with fastest time: first results from Abu Dhabi tests

With the 2024 championship now behind us, the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi hosted post-season testing, an important opportunity for teams and drivers to prepare for 2025. Carlos Sainz, on his debut with Williams, immediately made his mark by setting the fastest time in the morning session, finishing ahead of Charles Leclerc e Lando Norris.

Sainz's brilliant debut in testing in Abu Dhabi

Sainz, dressed in white to avoid conflicts with sponsors, dominated the morning with a fast lap in 1:24.435, completing 60 laps aboard the FW46. A promising debut for the Spaniard, who has shown that he is already at ease with the new single-seater. Williams, which aims to relaunch itself in the positions that count, can be satisfied with the work done in this first part of the day.

“Sainz brought energy and determination from the first lap,” said a Grove team member. “We are excited to continue working with him.”

Leclerc and Norris, solid protagonists

Second half for Charles Leclerc, which he completed 72 laps with a best time of 1:24.561, just 0.126 seconds behind Sainz. The Monegasque focused on analyzing the new Pirelli tires, showing a consistent and competitive pace.

Third place for Lando Norris with 1:24.678, which has traveled 78 laps before handing over the wheel to Oscar Piastri for the afternoon. The McLaren, fresh from Builders title, continued to demonstrate its solidity, with Norris confirming the team's competitiveness.

Mercedes: Change of plan with Vesti

At Mercedes, the day began with a change to the line-up: Frederick News took the place of Andrea Kimi Antonelli, still not at his best physically. Vesti closed the morning with the fifth fastest time in 1:25.159, completing a total of 55 laps. Antonelli could still take to the track in the afternoon, depending on his health conditions.

Among the rookies, Antonio Fuoco, driving the Ferrari, recorded the seventh fastest time in 1:25.238, while Gabriel Bortoleto, newly crowned F2 champion and future Sauber driver, completed a solid session with a time of 1:25.306.

Also noteworthy is the debut of Esteban Ocon with Haas, who used the first hours of testing to familiarise himself with the new team, and the debut of Yuki tsunoda at the wheel of the Red Bull, where he finished eleventh.

The morning session standings

The day, in addition to providing crucial data on the new Pirelli tires, represents the first step towards 2025.