Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Yas Marina, 2024 post-season test

Charles Leclerc was quickest in Formula 1’s sole day of post-season testing, as he again shared the track with his brother Arthur.

The Ferrari driver who finished third in the world championship set a quickest time of 1’23.510 and covered 134 laps.

Mercedes junior driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who was originally scheduled to do a full day’s running, missed the beginning of the test but joined in time to cover 62 laps, getting within four-tenths of a second of Leclerc’s best time. The pair were separated by Carlos Sainz Jnr, making his debut for Williams, George Russell in the other Mercedes and Nico Hulkenberg, on his first day with Sauber.

Frederik Vesti substituted for Antonelli early on in the session. He covered 55 laps and ended the test at the bottom of the times with Ferrari’s Antonio Fuoco, another driver who only ran earlier in the day when track conditions were less favourable.

Red Bull used the test to give Yuki Tsunoda his first opportunity to drive one of their cars. He and Isack Hadjar’s best lap times were within hundredths of a second of each other, the Formula 2 runner-up having already driven the RB20 in practice sessions twice this year.

Tsunoda raved about his first run in Max Verstappen’s world championship-winning machine. “It’s the first time in the past four years that I have driven a different car,” he said.

“You can physically feel why the RB20 has been fighting for a championship this year, it feels like a very different car to drive. We have had a very [productive] day today so I am really happy with that.”

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“I feel like the car suits my driving style and I haven’t struggled much at all to adapt,” he added, “even on the long runs I have been able to run consistently today and was able to feel the limitations of the car which, if you don’t have confidence in the car, you are unable to test.”

While McLaren’s IndyCar star Pato O’Ward had his latest run in one of the MCL38s, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri shared the other. Norris had a brief spin early on in the session without causing damage.

Abu Dhabi post-season test times

Pos.DriverTeamModelBest timeGapLaps
1Charles LeclercFerrariSF-241’23.510134
2Carlos Sainz JnrWilliamsFW461’23.6350.125146
3George RussellMercedesW151’23.7890.279134
4Nico HulkenbergSauberC441’23.8560.346113
5Andrea Kimi AntonelliMercedesW151’23.8730.36362
6Ayumu IwasaRBRB011’24.1000.590110
7Pato O’WardMcLarenMCL381’24.2220.712116
8Jack DoohanAlpineA5241’24.2680.758137
9Paul AronAlpineA5241’24.2750.765121
10Esteban OconHaasVF-241’24.3050.795119
11Luke BrowningWilliamsFW461’24.3750.865105
12Ryo HirakawaHaasVF-241’24.4350.925133
13Liam LawsonRBRB011’24.4400.930159
14Arthur LeclercFerrariSF-241’24.5761.06668
15Isack HadjarRed BullRB201’24.6321.122125
16Lando NorrisMcLarenMCL381’24.6781.16884
17Yuki TsunodaRed BullRB201’24.6891.179127
18Gabriel BortoletoSauberC441’24.7381.228130
19Oscar PiastriMcLarenMCL381’24.8381.32872
20Jak CrawfordAston MartinAMR241’24.9971.487109
21Felipe DrugovichAston MartinAMR241’25.0141.504146
22Frederik VestiMercedesW151’25.1591.64955
23Antonio FuocoFerrariSF-241’25.2381.72873

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