Kimi Antonelli, who is currently heading the championship standings, posted the quickest time in the final practice session for the Spanish Grand Prix at the new Madring circuit. The session, however, was marred by a serious incident involving seven‑time world champion Lewis Hamilton, who lost valuable track time after a crash that forced him to abandon his lap and limp back toward the pits. The mishap unfolded just twenty minutes after the session began. Hamilton was on a promising lap, building a time that could have placed him near the top of the practice rankings.
As he approached the final corner, he mis‑judged his braking point, ran wide and collided head‑on with the safety barriers. The impact was at a relatively low speed, but it was enough to dislodge the front wing of his Mercedes. The wing became trapped under the right‑hand front tyre, prompting Ferrari officials to advise Hamilton to stop the car immediately for safety reasons.
Despite the warning, Hamilton attempted to nurse the damaged car back toward the pit lane, hoping to preserve as much running as possible before the qualifying session, which was scheduled to start at 3 p.m. (the build‑up began at 2.15 p.m.).
He managed to reverse out of the barrier, but the compromised front wing continued to drag, eventually causing the car to stall in the middle sector of the track. Sky Sports F1 commentator Anthony Davidson criticised Hamilton's decision, noting that any young driver watching would be told not to continue driving a car with such a critical aerodynamic component missing. "The rule exists for a reason," Davidson said, "if the wing were to come completely free it could lift the front wheels, endanger marshals, or cause a much more serious accident." The crash triggered a lengthy 45‑minute red‑flag period while marshals repaired the damaged barriers and cleared debris.
During the stoppage, the session clock was halted with fifteen minutes left, giving the drivers a chance to complete additional laps once the track was reopened. When practice resumed, Antonelli seized the opportunity and 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. McLaren also showed encouraging form, with Oscar Piastri securing third place and Lando Norris, who missed most of the second practice session on Friday, climbing to fourth.
Max Verstappen of Red Bull rounded out the top five, while Russell settled for sixth. The competitive spread suggested that pole position could be contested by any of the frontrunners, especially as the track continued to evolve and grip levels improved with each lap. The session also highlighted the challenges of the new Madring layout. Haas rookie Oliver Bearman suffered a heavy crash at the high‑speed Turn 11, underscoring how unforgiving the circuit can be.
His car sustained significant damage, leaving the team with a tight timetable to repair it before qualifying. Looking ahead, the weekend schedule is packed with action. On Saturday, September 12, the build‑up for qualifying begins at 2.15 p.m., followed by the qualifying session at 3 p.m.
The day concludes with the Formula 3 Feature Race at 4.55 p.m. and Ted’s Qualifying Notebook at 6 p.m. Sunday, September 13, features the second Formula 3 Feature Race at 8.40 a.m., the Formula 2 Feature Race at 10.20 a.m., and the main Grand Prix event starting at 12.30 p.m.
(build‑up) with the race itself kicking off at 2 p.m. The day ends with the chequered flag at 4 p.m.
and post‑race analysis in Ted’s Notebook at 5 p.m. All sessions are broadcast live on Sky Sports F1, with additional coverage on Sky Sports Main Event. Fans are encouraged to watch the action using a Chrome browser for the best video player experience. The Spanish Grand Prix promises an exciting showdown at the state‑of‑the‑art Madring circuit, where drivers will test the limits of their machines and their own skill in pursuit of victory.