Carlos Sainz was among four drivers who made testing debuts for their new teams for F1 2025 with the end-of-season Abu Dhabi test wrapping up the year’s track action on Tuesday.
The one-day test features all 10 teams running two cars, one for experienced drivers to conduct Pirelli tyre testing and the other for inexperienced ones to gain valuable track miles.
And two days after ending his four-year Ferrari career with a second-place finish in 2024’s season finale at the Yas Marina Circuit, Sainz was back in official track action – but this time in a Williams car.
It was Sainz’s second outing in the FW46 having gained an initial familiarisation in a private test with his new team on Monday at the circuit as Williams completed their second of two permitted ‘filming’ days this year.
Having been given permission by Ferrari to start the next chapter of his F1 career early, Sainz, who remains contracted to the Scuderia to December 31, ran in plain white overalls and crash helmet.
Sainz gets familiar with the FW46 and its Mercedes engine on track
Nico Hulkenberg also ran in non-branded overalls as the German driver reacquainted himself with the Sauber team, 11 years after first driving for them during a single season in 2013.
Nico Hulkenberg checks out his new surroundings for 2025
Hulkenberg, who ended his Haas career with an eighth-place finish on Sunday, was joined on track by new team-mate and newly-crowned F2 champion Gabriel Bortoleto, who clinched the feeder series title in Abu Dhabi and is making his F1 debut next year as one of four rookies on the grid.
Sauber new boy – and the new Formula 2 champion – Gabriel Bortoleto speaks with team chief Mattia Binotto
Haas are another team changing their line-up completely, after Hulkenberg’s move to Audi-owned Sauber and Kevin Magnussen’s exit, and Esteban Ocon began his career at the team on Tuesday too.
New Haas signing Esteban Ocon was in full team kit after his early release from Alpine
Ocon sat out last week’s Abu Dhabi GP after coming to an agreement with Alpine so he could take part in this test while they ran his 2025 replacement, Jack Doohan, in his first full race weekend. Ocon’s 2025 team-mate at Haas is Britain’s Oliver Bearman.
Lewis Hamilton’s eagerly-anticipated driving debut for Ferrari will happen sometime in the new year with Mercedes taking the seven-time champion on a farewell tour of various headquarters this week, but the post-Hamilton era at the team has already begun on track.
With George Russell driving one W15, Hamilton’s 18-year-old replacement Andrea Kimi Antonelli shared the other one with reserve driver Frederik Vesti.
Antonelli sat out both last weekend’s F2 races due to illness but returned to the track in the afternoon running after Vesti completed initial laps in the second car.
Red Bull fielded neither of their 2024 race drivers, world champion Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez, with Yuki Tsunoda instead finally getting his chance to drive the company’s senior car.
The Japanese driver’s test in the RB20 had been pushed for by his backers, and Red Bull engine partners, Honda, although is not considered a pre-cursor to replacing Perez next next year should the Mexican, as is increasingly expected, lose his seat for 2025.
Liam Lawson, who drove for RB as usual on Tuesday, is considered the favourite to replace Perez.
New constructors’ champions McLaren rounded off their stunning year with Lando Norris, last Sunday’s race victor, and Oscar Piastri sharing one MCL38 and their IndyCar driver Pato O’Ward driving the other.
More to follow…
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