Three drivers will be making their first appearances in new racing overalls — Ocon for Haas, Hülkenberg for Sauber and Sainz for Williams — but many eyes may focus on Yuki Tsunoda, who Red Bull has selected over Liam Lawson to complete its Pirelli tyre test.

Both drivers have long been identified as potential replacements for Sergio Perez, who after a disastrous season is expected to lose his Red Bull seat ahead of 2025. While Lawson appears to be the favorite, Tsunoda has largely outperformed the Kiwi is their time as team-mates at RB — the former beating the latter 4-2 in race results and 6-0 in qualifying in 2024 — and an eye-opening performance during the post-season test could finally convince Red Bull bosses that he is worthy of a seat next to Max Verstappen.

It will also be an important session for Jack Doohan, who finished 15th on his F1 debut in Abu Dhabi and will be aiming to impress his Enstone bosses again with another strong showing in the post-season test amid rumours that the team is interested in Franco Colapinto.

Elsewhere, Ferrari has confirmed that Lewis Hamilton — who will race for the Scuderia in 2025 — will not be making his first appearance in red until the new year. The Briton will continue to serve as a Mercedes driver up until December 31, and will be attending several commercial events as part of a farewell tour. As a result, Charles Leclerc will be driving in the team’s post-season test sessions.

Abu Dhabi post-season test: afternoon

The afternoon session of Tuesday’s Abu Dhabi post-season test will see the emergence of new talent — again, with one notable absence.

Kimi Antonelli and newly crowned F2 champion Gabriel Bortoleto will headline a strong rookie line-up, with both drivers aiming to make a good first impression in their respective seats at Mercedes and Sauber.

Pato O’Ward will be getting another taste of F1 action for McLaren, just two months after making an FP1 appearance on home soil in Mexico City. The IndyCar ace finished 13th in that session — just over three-tenths slower than Oscar Piastri’s best time.

There will also be some appearances by F1 reserves. McLaren will be loaning Ryo Hirakawa to Haas for the afternoon; Felipe Drugovich will be stepping into the cockpit for Aston Martin alongside Jak Crawford; Arthur Leclerc will be back behind the wheel of a Ferrari alongside Antonio Fuoco; Ayumu Iwasa will appear in the RB; Isack Hadjar will race in the Red Bull; and Paul Aron will make his F1 testing debut for Alpine.

Formula 2 driver Luke Browning will also be making another on-track appearance for Williams following his FP1 debut in Abu Dhabi.

Perhaps the biggest name that will be missing from the timesheets is Oliver Bearman, who will be racing for Haas alongside Esteban Ocon for 2025. The team has chosen to run the more experienced Frenchman for its Pirelli tyre test, and since Bearman competed in three grand prix over the course of the 2024 season (Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan and Sao Paulo), he cannot compete in the rookie test.

What do drivers do in the Abu Dhabi post-season test? 

Abu Dhabi has staged a post-season test in the week following the final race of the season every year since 2010. And despite it feeling like the last day of school for many drivers and their teams, it still carries a lot of importance.

For Sainz, Ocon, Hülkenberg, Antonelli, Bortoleto and, to an extent, Doohan, the day will be a part of the acclimatisation process. It will give drivers the chance to get to know team members, adjust to new surroundings and get a feel for how their new outfit works before heading into the winter break.

Track time, while limited, also gives drivers an early impression of the car’s characteristics and can apply that experience directly toward the next year’s car.

This can pay off later down the line, as we’ve seen in the past. In 2022, Fernando Alonso took part in the post-season test for Aston Martin, shortly after contesting the season finale with Alpine. The Spaniard’s familiarity with the squad then enabled him to hit the ground running in 2023, as he scored five podium finishes in the fist six races.

For those who are staying with their current outfit, testing Pirelli’s tyres in the morning session will also be important, as it provides information to the teams and F1 about how to improve and manage its various compounds.