Kimi Antonelli, who is currently atop the championship leaderboard, topped the timing sheets in the final practice session for the Spanish Grand Prix at the newly built Madring circuit. The session, however, was marred by a dramatic incident involving seven‑time world champion Lewis Hamilton, who lost valuable track time after a crash that forced him to abandon his fast lap and limp back to the pits. Only twenty minutes into the practice run, Hamilton appeared to be on a promising lap that could have set a strong benchmark for the upcoming qualifying. As he approached the final corner, he mis‑judged the braking point, ran wide and collided head‑on with the safety barriers.
The impact was relatively low‑speed, but it was enough to dislodge the front wing of his Mercedes. The wing folded and became trapped beneath the front‑right tyre, compromising the car’s handling and safety.
Ferrari’s race engineers, monitoring the situation on their telemetry, immediately instructed Hamilton to bring the car to a stop. The champion, however, was reluctant to lose precious running time before the crucial qualifying window that began at 3 p.m. (the build‑up started at 2.15 p.m.).
Determined to keep the car moving, he attempted to nurse the damaged Mercedes back toward the pit lane. The effort proved futile; the compromised front wing caused the car to wobble, and Hamilton was forced to halt in the middle sector of the track. Anthony Davidson, the former driver who now works as a commentator for Sky Sports F1, criticised Hamilton’s decision to continue driving a compromised car. “Any young driver watching this would know not to do that,” Davidson said.
“You have a rule for a reason – if the front wing gets lodged under the car and lifts the front wheels, you could endanger marshals and other drivers. The safest thing is to get back to the pits immediately.” The crash triggered a 45‑minute red‑flag period while marshals repaired the barrier and cleared debris.
During the stoppage, the session clock was stopped with fifteen minutes left on the timer, giving the drivers a chance to complete additional laps once the track was cleared. This pause also allowed teams to reassess strategies for the final minutes of practice.
When the session resumed, Antonelli posted a blistering lap of 1:32.797, edging out Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc by 0.166 seconds and extending his championship lead to 66 points over his Mercedes teammate George Russell. The Italian driver’s performance underscored his rapid adaptation to the new circuit and hinted at a strong qualifying prospect. McLaren also displayed encouraging speed, with Oscar Piastri securing third place and Lando Norris climbing to fourth despite missing most of the second practice day on Friday. Their pace suggested that the team could be a serious contender for a front‑row start if the track continues to evolve.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen recorded the fifth‑fastest time, while Russell settled for sixth. The spread of times indicated that the pole position was still very much up for grabs, as drivers were consistently shaving seconds off their laps and the asphalt was gaining grip with each passing lap.
Haas rookie Oliver Bearman experienced the circuit’s unforgiving nature when he crashed heavily at the high‑speed Turn 11. The impact left the team scrambling to repair the car before qualifying, highlighting the challenges that the Madring layout poses even to the most skilled drivers. The weekend schedule is packed with action.
On Saturday, September 12, the build‑up to qualifying begins at 2.15 p.m., with the actual qualifying session slated for 3 p.m. Following the main event, the Formula 3 Feature Race 1 will start at 4.55 p.m., and Ted’s Qualifying Notebook will be released at 6 p.m. Sunday, September 13, features a second F3 Feature Race at 8.40 a.m., the F2 Feature Race at 10.20 a.m., and the Grand Prix itself at 12.30 p.m.
build‑up, with the race commencing at 2 p.m. and the chequered flag expected at 4 p.m. Sky Sports F1 will broadcast the event live, with additional coverage on Sky Sports Main Event. For viewers, Sky Sports recommends using the Chrome browser for the most accessible video player experience.
The network also offers streaming through the NOW platform, allowing fans to watch without a long‑term contract and with the flexibility to cancel at any time. Overall, the final practice session in Madrid delivered a mix of high‑speed drama, strategic setbacks, and promising performances. Antonelli’s dominance, Hamilton’s ill‑fated crash, and the competitive midfield battle set the stage for an exciting qualifying and a potentially unpredictable race day at the Spanish Grand Prix.