Charles Leclerc ensured that Ferrari finished on top in the final pre-season testing session for the 2024 Formula 1 season. Leclerc set a time of 1:30.332s, using the grippiest tire compound available this season. George Russell of Mercedes managed to secure second place, just 0.046s behind Leclerc, after a late dash on a different tire compound. Sauber surprised everyone with Guanyu Zhou posting a lap time three-tenths slower than Russell. Max Verstappen of Red Bull remained within four-tenths of Leclerc on a softer tire compound. These four drivers took over from their teammates in the final afternoon session, which was possible due to the cancellation of lunchtime running. There were multiple stoppages during the testing, including a prolonged delay caused by a dislodged drain cover. Despite the disruptions, Yuki Tsunoda of Red Bull managed to secure fifth place, while Williams’ Alex Albon completed the most laps among all drivers.
McLaren’s running was further limited due to a suspected issue with the clutch. As a result, Lando Norris only managed to complete 20 laps before handing over the MCL38 to Oscar Piastri.
Piastri performed well on the C3 compound, finishing within three-tenths of Verstappen’s fastest time on the same type of tire. This was a respectable effort considering the circumstances.
Fernando Alonso trailed behind Piastri, while Carlos Sainz, who currently holds the fastest testing time, was the highest-placed driver in the morning session.
Red Bull’s Sergio Perez concluded his preparations in the top 10, ahead of Haas’ Nico Hulkenberg, who showed promise during his long runs in the previous sessions.
On the other hand, Lewis Hamilton struggled and found himself in 12th place, despite setting his best time on the C5 tire. He was 1.6 seconds behind Leclerc’s benchmark time on the same compound.
Lance Stroll finished 13th in the second Aston Martin, with Norris trailing behind. Alpine had a quiet testing run, with Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon finishing 15th and 17th respectively.
Haas’ Kevin Magnussen split the two Alpine cars, while Valtteri Bottas had limited track time, completing only 28 laps as Sauber closed their garage in the morning.
Daniel Ricciardo, driving for Red Bull, completed 70 laps on the hardest C1 compound. He ended up at the bottom of the order, with the next session being the opening grand prix of 2024.
According to the Source motorsportweek.com