16/12/2024
NEWS STORY
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.
"Today marked my first day as a Formula One driver, it's an amazing feeling," said Bortoleto. "I think overall we had a positive testing session - I put my focus on adapting to the car, learning as much as possible, getting used to the engineers, to the mechanics, everyone in the team. It's safe to say that we have seen a positive first day in my new role.
"Formula One cars are so much quicker, it's definitely very different from Formula 2 obviously, but I'm looking forward to this new chapter. I am even more proud to be part of this team now and excited to see what we can achieve together next year."
"I enjoyed being back on track for the morning supporting Pirelli with the development of next year's tyres," said Lando Norris. "It's always a useful session to do and it's great to work closely with them on it. It's now time to relax after such an incredible end to the season, the team deserve some well-earned time off before we go again next year."
"It was nice to get out on track for one final time this year," added teammate Oscar Piastri. "It was good to work with Pirelli, getting valuable data for them on next year's tyres. Thank you again to the team for everything this year and for what they were able to do for us to win the Championship. Now for some rest before a busy 2025."
"It was mega to be back in a Formula 1 car," said Pato O'Ward. "I loved every second of being on track - it's always a great day when you get to drive one.
"I learned a lot from the full day of running. Getting more experience on track is always a positive and we covered a variety of things, pushing through long and shorter Quali-style runs, as well as practise starts.
"It's been so cool to be part of the McLaren Formula 1 Team alongside my Arrow McLaren duties, so I want to say thank you to Zak, Andrea and the entire team for their faith in me. I'm excited to see what everyone can achieve in 2025."
"It's been a successful day of testing," said Racing Director, Randy Singh. "Pato spent the full day on track, with Lando testing this morning and Oscar in the car this afternoon.
"In the Young Drivers' Test, Pato performed well, getting more valuable time in the seat of a Formula 1 car. Not only is this good for his development, it's also helpful when correlating his work in the sim back at the MTC. He did a great job, working through a variety of different runs, also practising starts and working closely with our engineering team.
"Lando and Oscar took part in the tyre test, which was productive. It was great to collaborate with Pirelli again, providing useful feedback on next year's tyres and learning about their behaviour. Thanks to them for their support this year.
"We've achieved so much this season, so we now take time to rest, reset and ensure we're prepared to defend our title in 2025."
"It's been a very solid day with over 750km recorded in the car," said Jack Doohan who posted the 15th best time of the day. "It was a very long but productive day, but good to be in the car again, especially coming in fresh off my first Grand Prix weekend. I'm very pleased with our work, we sampled the 2025 Pirelli tyres with lots of interesting data and feedback to give. Huge credit to the mechanics and engineers who did an exceptional job today.
"It's been a long season for everyone so I'm grateful and thankful for their efforts on this final track day of the season. Now I am looking forward to going through the data and taking all these valuable learnings from the past week into next year."
"I have had a very good day driving a Formula 1 car for the first time," added Paul Aron, "so thanks to the team for this opportunity. Like every driver that drives a Formula 1 car for the first time, I now realise just how quick these cars are and it was a lot of fun driving the A524 today. From a fitness point of view, there was a lot to get used to but, in the end, everything was fine on that front.
"Even with 121 laps on the board, I wanted to do more," he added. "We managed to go through our entire run plan. The engineers were happy, the pace seemed good, so I think it was a successful day overall. There is a lot to learn and I already look forward to 2025 in my role as Reserve Driver and continuing my development."
"The post season test has been so fun today, it's the first time in the past four years that I have driven a different car," said Yuki Tsunoda who was at the wheel of the Red Bull RB20. "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 proactive day today so I am really happy with that. There is still a lot of learning that I have to do but the team have done a great job of preparing such a great run today, it's been such an enjoyable atmosphere in the garage. I feel like the car suits my driving style and I haven't struggled much at all to adapt, 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.
"I am happy more than ever at the moment and making sure that the team have the information that they require from each run is the most important thing to get out of today."
"I have completed lots of laps today," added Isack Hadjar. "I had a really good feel for the first two runs, which consisted of a bit of performance running and some long runs as well. Testing is tough for the team and the day is very full on, we are learning a lot and I actually got to do my first practice start which was so fun.
"Straight away I felt very comfortable in the RB20, I have now done four FP1 session, but they are only every four months so each time you try not to forget how the car feels. We have provided plenty of information to give to the team and the engineers, so I am pleased with the work we have done and I hope I get more opportunities like this in the future."
"Today has been a really productive day," said Head of Performance Engineering, Ben Waterhouse. "Both cars ran reliably to complete more than 250 laps and the whole team continued to operate on a really high level after such a long season.
"We had Yuki in our car for the first time and Isack driving RB20 again following his recent outing in FP1 at the race weekend. We successfully completed the priority test items on both cars with both drivers performing to a very high level and delivering exactly what we anticipated from them. Yuki provided excellent feedback on the various tests performed on the 2025 Pirelli tyres offering valuable insight on the tyre changes Pirelli will introduce for next year, while Isack did a great job successfully completed all the procedural aero tests in the morning before performing both long and short runs evaluating a range of test items in the afternoon.
"The data gathered today will now be analysed in more detail back at the factory in Milton Keynes and this data plus that gathered over the course of the season will help define further performance improvements for 2025. Big thanks to all of the team here and in Milton Keynes and Sakura and we now need to recover from the season and then a big push over the winter to bring further performance gains to RB21 with the aim of fighting for both Championships next year."
At Aston Martin Felipe Drugovich jumped in the AMR24 to take part in the Pirelli tyre test after his FP1 outing during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, while development driver Jak Crawford, who recently finished his F2 season in fifth, got behind the wheel of the AMR24 for the first time.
At the conclusion of the test, Felipe had completed 771km, getting a feel for the tyres that will be running next season. Over Jak's 575km, he was able to complete a variety of long and performance runs with different setups as he adjusted to high mileage driving in the AMR24.
"It's always great to have the opportunity to drive the AMR24 and have the chance to build on what I have already learnt this season," said Drugovich. "We got plenty of running completed during the day, it was very physical but enjoyable. We were testing the 2025 Pirelli tyres, and they are slightly different to this year's compounds, but it was nice that I was able to get a feel for them and hopefully it will help the team with data to look at over the winter ahead of next season."
"I'm really happy with how testing went today, it was a lot of fun," added Crawford. "It's been a while since I've been in an F1 car and it was my first time in the AMR24 so I spent the first few laps getting up to speed and learning everything. We were able to get all the important runs done today and I was able to complete a lot of laps and get some data for the team. Thank you to Aston Martin Aramco for the opportunity, it's been a positive day, and I look forward to the chance of getting back into the seat of the F1 car again soon."
Check out our gallery from Yas Marina, here.