Delays, mystery crash and Ocon on top: What happened in F1’s post-season test?

Esteban Ocon topped the timesheets in F1’s post-season test on the final day of track running for 2023 in Abu Dhabi. 
Esteban Ocon (FRA) Alpine F1
Esteban Ocon (FRA) Alpine F1

The Alpine driver ended the day - which featured a combined Pirelli tyre and young driver test - with the fastest time on a 1m24.393s, nearly three-tenths faster than his nearest rival. 

Pato O’Ward was the quickest of the rookie drivers as he took second for McLaren, ahead of F2 vice champion Frederik Vesti in the Mercedes. 

Red Bull’s Sergio Perez was fourth-fastest, while Carlos Sainz, who set the pace in the morning, ended up fourth for Ferrari, ahead of fellow Spaniard and Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso. 

Alpine reserve Jack Doohan was seventh, ahead of Ferrari back-up Robert Shwartzman and Logan Sargeant, whose future at Williams remains up in the air. 

Pato O'Ward (MEX) McLaren MCL60 Test Driver. Formula 1 Testing, Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi, Tuesday.-
Pato O'Ward (MEX) McLaren MCL60 Test Driver. Formula 1 Testing, Yas Marina…

Charles Leclerc rounded out the top-10 as he and Sainz split tyre testing duties for Pirelli.

Newly-crowned F2 champion and Alfa Romeo reserve Theo Pourchaire took 11th, while Aston Martin’s Felipe Drugovich and AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda were 12th and 13th. 

Formula E champion Jake Dennis got another chance to drive Red Bull’s dominant RB19 and finished 14th, ahead of Ayumu Iwasa, who made his F1 debut for AlphaTauri. 

Iwasa caused a late red flag during the final hour of running when his AlphaTauri broke down with smoke pouring out of the rear. 

Meanwhile, George Russell’s day came to a premature end in the morning after the Briton crashed at Turn 6 which triggered a red flag and a Mercedes investigation into a suspected car failure. 

Another F1 debutant, Franco Colapinto, finished 22nd for Williams. 

The day got off to a delayed start due to the medical helicopter not showing up on time for the planned 9am green flag, before a water leak under the W Hotel bridge led to a further stoppage. 

Franco Colapinto (ARG) Williams Racing FW45 Academy Driver. Formula 1 Testing, Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi, Tuesday.-
Franco Colapinto (ARG) Williams Racing FW45 Academy Driver. Formula 1…

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