Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli dominated the final practice session for the Spanish Grand Prix at the Madring circuit, clocking a benchmark lap of 1:32.797 on Saturday.
Antonelli Sets the Pace in High-Stakes Practice
The championship leader continued his strong run at the demanding new venue, topping the timesheets ahead of the afternoon qualifying session scheduled for 16:00 local time. Drivers pushed hard across the layout, testing the limits of a high-grip surface featuring fast corners and dense traffic challenges. Alexander Albon brushed the wall, Carlos Sainz avoided a near-miss, and Lance Stroll ran wide during a frantic hour of running.
Hamilton and Bearman Crashes Trigger Red Flags
The first stoppage occurred when Ferrari’s seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton crashed heavily at Turn 22. The incident forced race control to halt the session, leaving only fifteen minutes of running once marshals cleared the track. According to trackside accounts, Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc held the provisional fastest time upon the resumption, but late track evolution allowed Antonelli to reclaim the top spot by just over a tenth of a second. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri secured third place ahead of teammate Lando Norris.
A second red flag brought a premature end to the session in the final minute when Haas driver Oliver Bearman crashed in a high-speed section between Turn 10 and Turn 11. Both British drivers emerged uninjured from their respective impacts, though Bearman’s Haas sustained substantial structural damage.
Struggles at the Back of the Grid
Spanish drivers Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz faced difficult conditions during the final practice.
Related reading
