Pirelli Abu Dhabi tests – Three Ferraris top the timesheets
Pirelli's Abu Dhabi test sessions took place today to try out the 2023 version of its tires. It was the Ferraris who topped the timesheets. Sainz, ahead of Leclerc and F2 driver Robert Shwartzman.
24 drivers took the wheel today with 10 teams participating in these tests and two cars per team. The weather was nice and the teams were supposed to test the soft tires proposed by Pirelli for 2023, but it is worth noting that all tire compounds were tested today, including rain tires.
It’s the Ferrari drivers who achieve a 1-2-3 on the time sheet. Sainz sets a time of 1:25.245, one-tenth faster than Leclerc and Shwartzman.
Some red flags disrupted the drivers, notably the McLaren of Oscar Piastri, which broke down on the track due to a poorly placed engine protection. Nico Hülkenberg, who was also making his debut with a new team, encountered issues with the Haas. However, he was still able to get back on the track and complete more than two Grand Prix distances.
Other drivers started with their new team this Tuesday. This is the case for Nyck de Vries who moved to AlphaTauri after several seasons with Mercedes, without a seat in Formula 1. It is also the case for Fernando Alonso who began his wheelspin with Aston Martin, just coming out of Alpine on Sunday for his last Grand Prix. Alonso finishes 12th.
Pierre Gasly was also one of those transfers that brightened up the silly season. He started competing with Alpine and finished 4th on the timesheet. The other Alpine, driven by Jack Doohan, is in 11th place.
All teams managed to complete over 200 laps. AlphaTauri impressed with over 5 races covered today in terms of distance, amounting to 286 laps.
The Frenchman Theo Pourchaire was driving for the second time in Formula 1 after the first free practice session of the United States Grand Prix earlier in the season. He finished dead last in the Alfa Romeo today, 8 tenths behind Bottas.
The ranking of Pirelli’s tests in Abu Dhabi
| N° | Driver | Team | Times | Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sainz | Scuderia Ferrari | 1:25.245 | 65 | |
| 2 | Leclerc | Scuderia Ferrari | 1:25.383 | +0.138 | 56 |
| 3 | Shwartzman | Scuderia Ferrari | 1:25.400 | +0.155 | 116 |
| 4 | Gasly | BWT Alpine F1 Team | 1:25.689 | +0.444 | 130 |
| 5 | Verstappen | Oracle Red Bull Racing | 1:25.845 | +0.600 | 76 |
| 6 | Albon | Williams Racing | 1:25.959 | +0.714 | 118 |
| 7 | Sargeant | Williams Racing | 1:26.063 | +0.818 | 82 |
| 8 | De Vries | Scuderia AlphaTauri | 1:26.111 | +0.866 | 151 |
| 9 | Stroll | Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team | 1:26.263 | +1.018 | 70 |
| 10 | Lawson | Oracle Red Bull Racing | 1:26.281 | +1.036 | 111 |
| 11 | Doohan | BWT Alpine F1 Team | 1:26.297 | +1.052 | 111 |
| 12 | Alonso | Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team | 1:26.312 | +1.067 | 97 |
| 13 | Perez | Oracle Red Bull Racing | 1:26.333 | +1.088 | 88 |
| 14 | Piastri | McLaren F1 Team | 1:26.340 | +1.095 | 123 |
| 15 | Drugovich | Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team | 1:26.595 | +1.350 | 106 |
| 16 | Bottas | Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN | 1:26.709 | +1.464 | 129 |
| 17 | Hamilton | Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport | 1:26.750 | +1.505 | 67 |
| 18 | Norris | McLaren F1 Team | 1:26.890 | +1.645 | 115 |
| 19 | Hülkenberg | Haas F1 Team | 1:27.000 | +1.755 | 110 |
| 20 | Tsunoda | Scuderia AlphaTauri | 1:27.123 | +1.878 | 135 |
| 21 | Fittipaldi | Haas F1 Team | 1:27.172 | +1.927 | 99 |
| 22 | Vesti | Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport | 1:27.216 | +1.971 | 124 |
| 23 | Russell | Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport | 1:27.240 | +1.995 | 73 |
| 24 | Pourchaire | Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN | 1:27.591 | +2.346 | 106 |
