Abu Dhabi post-season F1 test: Who is driving?

Formula 1's post-season test at Yas Marina will see a host of young drivers take to the track on Tuesday, but also several familiar faces in action in new colors.

All ten F1 teams will be out in full force, meaning with two cars. One car will be assigned to a young driver with no more than two Grands Prix starts under their belt, while the other car will be used for Pirelli tire testing.

The test will run across the entire day with a lunch break dividing the session.

While the 2024 F1 season is done and dusted, the post-season test is an essential part of the teams' programs, whether it's providing promising young talents with mileage, gaining insight into Pirelli's future compounds, or offering a new race driver a chance to ease his acclimatization process.

As usual in Formula 1, every testing mile counts towards gaining data and knowledge, the pillars of
speed, reliability, and the relentless pursuit of performance that defines success on the grid.

The lineups:

McLaren will have both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri on hand to help with Pirelli's tire testing, while IndyCar star Pato O'Ward will fill – for the fourth year in succession – the role of 'young driver'.

Over at Ferrari , Charles Leclerc has been assigned to tire testing while his brother Arthur will split driving duties at the wheel of the Scuderia's other car with Antonio Fuoco. As a reminder, Lewis Hamilton won't be seen in red until early next year.

Tuesday is a big day for Yuki Tsunoda as the Japanese charger will finally get a chance to test for Red Bull , the team he aspires to join, perhaps as early as next year. Oddly, Isack Hadjar who will be running in the team's 'young driver' car has already driven the RB20 in anger thanks to his two FP1 sessions this year.

Mercedes will rely on George Russell for its tire testing program while his 2025 teammate Kimi Antonelli will add more important mileage to the laps he enjoyed in two FP1 sessions this year.

Aston Martin has assigned its reserve driver Felipe Drugovich to its Pirelli test while 19-year-old American Jak Crawford will sample Team Silvertone's AMR24 for the first time this season.

Alpine has designated Jack Doohan as its go-to driver for tire testing, with Enstone squad's new recruit Paul Aron – a former Mercedes protégé – running in the young driver test.

Esteban Ocon is Haas' new face for 2025 and he'll be rare to get on track on Tuesday morning, having been forced out of last weekend's season finale by Alpine. Alongside the Frenchman will be Toyota Gazoo Racing's in-house WEC charger Ryo Hirakawa.

Over at Visa Cash App RB , Liam Lawson will handle tire testing, with Honda junior Ayumu Iwasa, who took part in FP1 last Friday in Abu Dhabi, tagging on more laps on the other side of the garage. Last weekend, the whisper in the paddock was that Lawson still holds an edge over Tsunoda as Red Bull's preferred choice as Sergio Perez's successor.

Williams will assuredly attract a lot of attention on Tuesday, with Carlos Sainz making his official debut with the British outfit, although the Spaniard was on track on Monday with his new team as part of a filming day. Opposite Sainz, another Abu Dhabi FP1 apprentice, Luke Browning, will be in action.

Finally, Sauber will have its full 2025 line-up at its disposal in Tuesday's test with Nico Hulkenberg and reigning FIA Formula 2 Champion Gabriel Bortoleto both on track.

Lineups:

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