Hadjar makes Red Bull debut as final F1 2025 running concludes

Post-season testing in Abu Dhabi has come to a close, with 25 drivers taking to the circuit in Abu Dhabi to complete more than 2,500 laps in F1 2025 post-season testing.

There were key runs being done, too, with young driver testing taking place alongside vital F1 2026 tyre testing with Pirelli, running mule cars for the day at Yas Marina.

F1 2025 season officially concludes with post-season testing

Lando Norris, freshly crowned World Champion and arriving at the circuit with a somewhat hoarse voice after his title celebrations, made use of the occasion to run a special-edition golden helmet for his stint behind the wheel, as he shared tyre testing with Oscar Piastri while Pato O’Ward took part in the young driver test.

There was a first look at Isack Hadjar in Red Bull Racing clothing since his step up to the team, too, as the French driver joined Red Bull reserve Ayumu Iwasa for a day of testing.

Another first saw Arvid Lindblad take in a day behind the wheel in his first current-car test as a Formula 1 driver, with the Briton set to step up to Racing Bulls next season.

For the Pirelli tyre testers, made up mostly of full-time drivers or senior reserves such as Stoffel Vandoorne at Aston Martin, modifications were made to their cars to simulate F1 2026 machines in the closest possible manner, with Mercedes having run a modified front wing to assess the ‘active’ nature of those components next year.

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They also ran Pirelli’s new 2026 rubber, which measures in 25mm narrower at the front and 30mm at the back, while also weighing a combined 2.1kg less per set.

For the young drivers, meanwhile, it was a chance to drive current Formula 1 machinery for a full day to gain valuable experience.

With testing the key priority on Tuesday, the lap times were not necessarily indicative of qualifying performance, with each team cycling through different run plans on the day.

While most days ran smoothly, Haas driver Esteban Ocon managed just four laps in his afternoon of testing in Abu Dhabi, with Haas having confirmed he suffered an engine issue.

Elsewhere, Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli topped the lap count chart, with 157. Reserve driver Frederik Vesti had the second-most laps of the day, with the Mercedes duo combining for 312 laps of Yas Marina.

Aston Martin junior Jak Crawford set the fastest time of the day, with rookie drivers taking all of the five fastest times at Yas Marina on Tuesday.

Antonelli was the fastest of the full-time drivers, while Hadjar completed 111 laps on his first day as a full-time Red Bull driver, with Lindblad clocking 138 after taking on Hadjar’s seat at Racing Bulls.

The teams will regroup over winter and prepare their all-new cars as best they can, with a private five-day test taking place at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in just seven weeks’ time.

F1 post-season test leaderboard, Abu Dhabi

[Lap count in brackets]

1 Jak Crawford, Aston Martin 1:23.766 [119 laps]
2 Paul Aron, Sauber 1:23.847 [126]
3 Luke Browning, Williams 1:23.920 [129]
4 Frederik Vesti, Mercedes 1:24.568 [145]
5 Ayumu Iwasa, Red Bull 1:24.925 [121]
6 Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes 1:25.170 [157]
7 Pato O’Ward, McLaren 1:25.418 [127]
8 Ryo Hirakawa, Haas 1:25.463 [121]
9 Dino Beganovic, Ferrari 1:25.720 [122]
10 Oscar Piastri, McLaren 1:26.099 [85]
11 Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari 1:26.138 [73]
12 Lando Norris, McLaren 1:26.142 [71]
13 Alex Albon, Williams 1:26.289 [92]
14 Charles Leclerc, Ferrari 1:26.417 [75]
15 Carlos Sainz, Williams 1:26.454 [76]
16 Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls 1:26.505 [141]
17 Arvid Lindblad, Racing Bulls 1:26.519 [138]
18 Gabriel Bortoleto, Sauber 1:26.767 [78]
19 Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber 1:27.004 [76]
20 Pierre Gasly, Alpine 1:27.433 [141]
21 Isack Hadjar, Red Bull 1:27.515 [111]
22 Kush Maini, Alpine 1:27.544 [128]
23 Stoffel Vandoorne, Aston Martin 1:27.743 [108]
24 Ollie Bearman, Haas 1:27.827 [80]
25 Esteban Ocon, Haas 1:31.407 [4]

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