Piastri, Ricciardo and Doohan to feature in Abu Dhabi test

The curtain may have been drawn on the 2023 Formula 1 season last weekend, but the action does not stop with a post-season test at Abu Dhabi beginning tonight.

The eight-hour Yas Marina post season test will be the final bit of on-track running of 2023 and provide teams and participating drivers with one last chance to shakedown their current cars.

Each team must designate one car to a young driver, while the main stars occupy the other car.

Teams giving F1 exposure to youngsters rising through the ranks and conducting Pirelli tyre testing are the major focuses of the day.

Jack Doohan during FP1 at the Abu Dhabi GP. Image: Jake Grant / LAT Images.

No less than three Australians are expected to grace the Yas Marina Circuit tonight.

It shapes up as a big opportunity for Alpine Academy driver Jack Doohan, who enjoys his third official F1 session in the space of a month, fulfilling the French squad’s young driver allocation.

Fresh from a special win in the FIA Formula 2 finale, Doohan will be full of confidence as he drives the A523, which he is starting to become familiar with having participated in practice sessions at Mexico and Abu Dhabi.

Driving the sister Alpine alongside Doohan will be 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix winner Esteban Ocon.

It is yet to be officially announced, but widely expected that 12 months on from his first drive for McLaren in an F1 session, Oscar Piastri will return.

A year on from his McLaren debut, Oscar Piastri will return to the Abu Dhabi post season test. Photo by Michael Potts / LAT Images

Now with an impressive rookie season under his belt, Piastri will cut more laps in the MCL60 and drive in both the morning and afternoon sessions with Lando Norris not expected to stay for the test.

Alongside Piastri will be IndyCar’s Pato O’Ward, who has stayed in Yas Marina following his first practice outing on Friday.

Having raced in just seven of the 23 Grands Prix of 2023, Daniel Ricciardo will be making the most of the post-season test.

Ricciardo is expected to drive in the morning session and get more feel of the AT04 he drove to record AlphaTauri’s best result of the year in Mexico.

After missing the first half of 2023 and his return being disrupted by a hand injury, the “Honey Badger” will be hoping to build momentum from the test and through the off-season ahead of a big 2024.

Yuki Tsunoda will then jump into the AlphaTuari in the afternoon following his impressive Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, while another Japanese youngster in Ayumu Iwasa will have his first taste of F1 ahead of a trip to Super Formula next year.

Daniel Ricciardo during second practice at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Image: Peter Fox/Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool.

Aston Martin will feature the familiar line up of Felipe Drugovich, plus main drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll.

Ferrari will also have both main drivers on show with Carlos Sainz in the morning and Charles Leclerc in the afternoon, plus Robert Shwartzman as the youngster.

There will be four drivers wearing Williams overalls tonight as Alex Albon and Logan Sargeant both get one last drive of the FW45.

Zak O’Sullivan will be the first youngster in the morning before Franco Collapinto jumps in the afternoon just two days on from his Formula 2 debut.

The man who won the 2023 FIA Formula 2 crown, Theo Pourchaire will be looking to make more memories as he fulfils Alfa Romeo’s young driver allocation with Zhou Guanyu on the other side of the garage.

Haas will be the only team not to roll out at least one of its F1 drivers with Pietro Fittipaldi and Oliver Bearman in action instead of Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg.

Max Verstappen will enjoy a rest following his record-breaking season as teammate Sergio Perez doubles up either side of lunch. 

FP1 runner Jake Dennis returns to be Red Bull’s young driver for the day.

Main Photo by James Sutton / Sutton Images

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