The last day of track action to end the 2024 season took place in Abu Dhabi today. The Yas Marina circuit hosted the usual end of season test.

All ten teams took part, each fielding two cars, working on different fronts. One car from each team had to be driven by a "rookie driver" defined by the FIA as one who has not taken part in more than two Grands Prix, while drivers for the other car were free of any restrictions and indeed, some drivers were already working with their new teams for next year.

The tyres available for these two groups were also different and while the rookies ran the same 2024 compounds that were available for last weekend's Grand Prix, in the other cars, those driving were able to assess the homologated compounds that Pirelli will supply next season, having developed them in conjunction with the teams over the past year. The one absentee was the C1 tyre, as it is not suited to this track.

Each young driver had eight sets of tyres available: two C3, four C4 and two C5. Other drivers had ten sets to use: one C2, three each of C3 and C4, two C5 and one C6, the latter being the new ultra-soft compound which is an addition to the 2025 range, aimed one expects for use at some street circuits.

Unlike the "in-competition test" run at the Mexico City weekend, Pirelli did not set out a standard programme for how the 2025 tyres should be used, leaving the teams free to run them as they saw fit, in order to gather vital data for the development of next year's cars. Finally, as decreed by the FIA, no car was allowed to carry any components that had not been used during a race weekend.

There were nine very busy hours of testing, with just one short interruption towards the end. A total of 2,578 laps were completed, equivalent to 13,614.418 kilometres (8,459 miles). All compounds and types of tyre were used: indeed some teams even ran rain tyres or intermediates for their installation laps and when carrying out aerodynamic measurements, which are usually carried out at the start of the day.

Topping the time sheet overall was Charles Leclerc who took his Ferrari round in 1:23.510. Second was Williams' new signing, Carlos Sainz (1:23.635) while George Russell was third for Mercedes on 1:23.789.

While the former Ferrari team-mates set their best times on the C5, Russell did his with the C6. Of the rookies, the quickest was Italy's Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) with a time of 1'23"873. The three drivers who put in the most laps were Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls, 159), Carlos Sainz (Williams, 146) and Felipe Drugovich (Aston Martin, 146).

"This was a very useful test, being able to see the entire new range of compounds that have been homologated for next season in use, with the exception of the C1," said Mario Isola. "Track conditions were very good, very similar to those experienced last Sunday during the final Grand Prix and with not too dissimilar temperatures.

"We gathered a lot of data which will now be analysed very carefully by our engineers and those from the teams to continue to prepare as thoroughly as possible for next season. From a first preliminary analysis, we can say that the new compounds have proved to offer greater mechanical resistance, which therefore leads to a reduction in the level of abrasion on the tread. As for overheating, we knew it would be difficult to see significant improvements, as we ran almost entirely in sunny conditions, unlike over the race weekend.

"Another important topic was to check the positioning of the compounds within the 2025 range: from what we saw today, we can say that the difference in performance between the C2, C3, C4 and C5 is more in line with our goals, namely to have a gap of around half a second in between each of them.

"As for the brand new C6, we saw on this track, with its very demanding final section, especially in terms of traction, that degradation even on a first flying lap is quite pronounced. Now we will carry out a careful analysis of the data to identify which tracks will be best suited to its possible use on a race weekend."

That brings the 2024 season to an end, and Pirelli's Formula 1 team will be back on track at the end of January in Magny Cours for the first test session of the year, working on development of the 2026 tyres.

Driving for Ferrari were Charles Leclerc, Antonio Fuoco and Arthur Leclerc, these last two both driving what was, up until Sunday night, Carlos Sainz's car, as part of the Young Driver Test.

Charles started off running the C2 compound, before switching to the C4, his best time being a strong 1'24"561 on the C4. By the lunch break, the Monegasque had completed 77 laps, equivalent to 407 km. In the afternoon, he added a further 59 (313 km) first on new C2s and then switching to the C3 and C5 compounds. His total for the day was 136 laps (720 km) and he topped the time sheet with a 1'23"510 set on the softest tyre.

Antonio Fuoco was driving the SF-24 for the first time, starting on the C3 and then the softer C4 with which he set his best time of 1'25"238. It was the second time the Italian had driven a current generation car and it was a useful exercise, allowing him to compare it with the virtual car he usually drives on the Maranello simulator. He did 73 laps, 386 kilometres.

Prior to the afternoon session, the SF-24 was reconfigured to fit Arthur Leclerc who returned to the cockpit just four days after making his official debut at a Formula 1 weekend, replacing Carlos Sainz for the first free practice session at this track, driving alongside his brother. He completed 68 laps, 359 kilometres, on the C3, C4 and C5. Today, he was able to push the car harder, running a more complete programme to the one set out for him during Friday practice. His best time was a 1'24"576.

"It was important for me to have the opportunity to get back behind the wheel of a current generation Formula 1 car, having driven the F1-75 a few weeks ago at Fiorano," said Fuoco. "Doing so in Abu Dhabi, just a couple of days after the Grand Prix allows for particularly meaningful comparisons, because we managed to acquire data in similar climatic and track conditions. For me, spending so much time in the simulator, it was also useful to be able to work on correlation: tomorrow I will be back in Maranello where we will check some of the data from here. Then there will be a short break for the Christmas holiday after which I'm very enthusiastic about getting back to work on 2025, when we want to be even more competitive."

"It was great to be back in the car just a few days on from when I drove it in the first free practice session," added Arthur Leclerc. "Today, I was able to enjoy driving the SF-24 much more and we worked on a pretty busy programme, trying various things and gathering data that we will analyse in the coming days. Once again, it was special to have Charles across the garage from me and also to be on track with so many really good drivers. Next up is another week working in Maranello before a short break for the end of the year. Then it will be time to start again for what I expect will be a very busy 2025, but let's hope it will be a very rewarding year."

KICK Sauber F1 Team officially concluded the season with a positive day of testing. The day marked an important milestone for the team, as 2025 drivers, Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto, took to the track; it was a return to the team for Nico, who raced for the Hinwil squad in 2013, while Gabriel put his first kilometres as a Formula One driver under his belt.

Both drivers were facing different approaches. Nico's programme mainly focused on the Pirelli tyre test, gathering crucial data for the tyre supplier's approach of the upcoming season., Gabriel made use of the day to get familiar with Formula One machinery, and the team's processes, quickly adapting and laying a strong foundation for his rookie season next year.

Both drivers completed their respective programmes smoothly, providing valuable insights and data. The team now heads into the off-season with a wealth of information to analyse, ahead of returning on track in 2025.

"The first day together is now behind us," said Hulkenberg, "and I think today has been a productive and positive start - we were able to take care of the basics and begin working together as a team.

"It was generally very useful to get a first impression of the car," he added. "I'm looking forward to building on this momentum in the new year and really diving into the work ahead of us. I would like to thank everyone for the warm welcome and I can't wait to get back to this in 2025."

Check out our gallery from Yas Marina, here.