Ferrari new boy Charles Leclerc got his first day of work in red by topping the timing screens on the final day of the Pirelli tyre test at Yas Marina Circuit on Wednesday, the Monegasque setting the best time of the two days in Abu Dhabi.
Leclerc's best lap time of 1:36.450 was three-tenths better than the top time set by new teammate Sebastian Vettel the previous day, but 1.7 seconds slower than the pole time of 1:34.794 set by Lewis Hamilton on Saturday during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend.
Pierre Gasly, driving for Red Bull ahead of his 2019 move with the team, was 1.5 seconds down in second place. Third on the timing screens was Force India's new boy Lance Stroll, ahead of Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas with the fourth fastest time.
In action in a McLaren for the first time was Carlos Sainz, the Spaniard ending the day fifth ahead of Artem Markelov in sixth on his outing for Renault.
Robert Kubica did duty for Williams in the morning stanza before handing over to George Russell for the afternoon. The newly crowned Formula 2 Champion was seventh on the time sheets with the Pole four tenths shy of his teammate in tenth.
Comeback Kid Daniil Kvyat was back in a Toro Rosso for the first time since the 2017 United States Grand Prix. The Russian completed more laps than any other driver on the day, and ended eighth ahead of Swiss Formula 2 driver Louis Deletraz ninth in the Haas.
Sauber reserve turned fulltime driver Antonio Giovinazzi was in action for the Swiss team and ended the day slowest of all.
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