2025 F1 season concludes with final Abu Dhabi test

The 2025 Formula 1 campaign has drawn to a definitive close following the final on-track running of the year at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi. Just two days after Lando Norris clinched the World Championship, all ten teams participated in a crucial post-season test, blending evaluations of the 2026 Pirelli tyres with running for young drivers.

Why it matters:

This test serves as the critical bridge between the old and new regulatory eras. With sweeping technical changes coming in 2026, the data collected here provides the final benchmark for current car performance and offers Pirelli and the teams their first real-world insights into how next year's tyres behave, setting the foundation for winter development.

The details:

The day was split into two distinct sessions. The morning featured a Pirelli tyre test where teams ran their 2025 cars—configured as 'mule cars' with reduced downforce and a 300kph speed limit—on the prototype 2026 tyres. This allowed for direct data comparison with earlier development tests.

• Mercedes junior Kimi Antonelli was fastest in this session with a 1:25.170, followed by Oscar Piastri and Lewis Hamilton.
• The afternoon was dedicated to the Young Driver Test, where drivers with no more than two Grand Prix starts took over the 2025-spec cars.
• Aston Martin's Jak Crawford emerged as the overall pace-setter for the day, posting a 1:23.766.
• Paul Aron (Alpine) and Luke Browning (Williams) completed the top three in the young driver running.
• Notably, newly crowned champion Lando Norris finished 12th, while Max Verstappen and Fernando Alonso did not participate in the session.

By the numbers:

The test was a marathon of data gathering, with some drivers completing impressive lap counts.

• Kimi Antonelli logged the most laps of any driver, completing 157 tours of the Yas Marina Circuit.
• Frederik Vesti (Mercedes) and Pierre Gasly (Alpine) also had heavy workloads, completing 145 and 144 laps respectively.
• In contrast, Esteban Ocon's running was cut short, managing only 4 laps for Haas.

What's next:

Pirelli's Motorsport Director, Mario Isola, confirmed the test was fundamental for finalizing the 2026 tyre specifications, particularly in understanding degradation and the effects of a smaller tyre footprint. The focus now shifts entirely to the factory, where teams will analyze this data over the winter. The next time the new tyres will run is on the actual 2026 cars at the pre-season test in Barcelona at the end of January, marking the true beginning of the next F1 era.