As usual, the teams stayed in Abu Dhabi after the final race, where the traditional post-season tests took place on Tuesday. Each team ran two cars. One was used by a rookie with the current 2025 tyres, and the other was driven by a race driver who tested the tyres prepared for 2026.

Because the cars and the tyres will be completely different in 2026, the teams used modified cars for this test. These cars ran a low downforce package similar to what is used in Monza, and they included changes that allowed them to use the new tyre sizes. The rim diameter will remain at 18 inches in 2026. The front tyres will be 25 millimetres narrower and the rear tyres will be 30 millimetres narrower. The overall tyre diameter will also be smaller, by 15 millimetres at the front and 10 millimetres at the rear.

According to The Race, the teams also used more DRS zones than usual. There were four zones instead of two, which helped simulate future active aerodynamics. Next year both the rear wing and the front wing will be able to open, but the current DRS system increases the load on the front axle and raises tyre temperatures. This makes the data less accurate for 2026, which is already difficult to simulate with today’s cars. To reduce this problem, most drivers had to follow a speed limit of 300 kilometres per hour on the straights. Ferrari and Mercedes used a special front wing that imitates next year’s moveable design, so these teams did not need to follow the speed limit.

There were also some interesting driver line-ups. Isack Hadjar drove the current Red Bull car for the first time. Former Formula 1 driver Stoffel Vandoorne completed the test for Aston Martin. Racing Bulls gave an important opportunity to Arvid Lindblad, who will race for the team next season. Most other teams used their regular race drivers for the tyre test.

The day did not run perfectly. Ryo Hirakawa crashed in the first corner during his rookie session, but he was able to return to the track later. His team mate Esteban Ocon had technical issues and completed only four laps during the afternoon tyre running. Oliver Bearman had a much smoother session in the morning and managed 80 laps.

In the end, Jack Crawford set the fastest time overall for Aston Martin in the rookie test. Mercedes junior Kimi Antonelli was the quickest driver in the tyre test for 2026.

Full results: