Kimi Antonelli, who is currently heading the championship standings, posted the fastest time 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 limp back to the pits. Only twenty minutes into the practice run, Hamilton appeared to be on a promising lap that could have placed him near the top of the timesheets. As he approached the final corner, he mis‑judged his braking point, carried too much speed into the turn 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 under the right‑hand front tyre, creating a dangerous situation that prompted Ferrari’s race engineers to advise Hamilton to bring the car to a stop immediately.
Despite the advice, Hamilton chose to keep the car moving in an effort to return to the pit lane without losing the precious running time he needed for qualifying later in the day. He managed to reverse out of the barrier, but the damaged wing continued to scrape the tyre and eventually forced the car to halt in the middle sector of the circuit. Sky Sports F1’s former driver Anthony Davidson criticised the decision, saying that any young driver watching the footage would understand that continuing to drive a car with a compromised front wing is unsafe and against the regulations.
"Any young driver that is watching this right now, you don't do that. You just don't do that. That's what you could have tried to do [get back to the pits] but that rule is there for a reason," Davidson explained. "If the front wing had completely ripped off and lifted the front wheels, or if marshals were on the track, the consequences could have been far more serious." The crash triggered a 45‑minute red‑flag period while track officials repaired the barrier and cleared debris.
During the stoppage, the session clock was paused with fifteen minutes left on the timer, giving the drivers a chance to complete additional laps once the session resumed. When the green flag finally waved again, Antonelli seized the opportunity and set a blistering lap of 1:32.797, edging out Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc by 0.166 seconds to claim the top spot. Antonelli’s performance solidifies his lead in the Drivers’ Championship, where he now enjoys a 66‑point advantage over his Mercedes teammate George Russell. The Italian youngster’s pace was complemented by a strong showing from McLaren, whose drivers Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris occupied third and fourth places respectively.
Norris, who missed most of the second practice session on Friday due to technical issues, demonstrated that he could quickly recover and deliver a competitive lap when the track conditions improved. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, the defending champion, recorded the fifth‑fastest time, while Russell settled for sixth.
The spread of times suggested that the pole position could be contested by several teams, especially as the track continued to evolve and drivers found more grip with each lap. The session also highlighted the difficulty of the high‑speed Turn 11, where Haas rookie Oliver Bearman suffered a heavy crash that left his car heavily damaged.
The incident underscored the challenges that the new Madring layout poses, even for the most experienced drivers. Looking ahead, the weekend schedule is packed with action. The qualifying session for the Spanish Grand Prix is set to begin at 2:15 p.m.
(local time) on Saturday, with the official qualifying build‑up starting at 3:00 p.m. The race itself is slated for Sunday at 2:00 p.m., preceded by a series of support events including the Formula 3 Feature Race, the Formula 2 Feature Race, and various commentary and analysis segments hosted by Sky Sports F1.
Viewers can stream the coverage via Sky Sports with the NOW platform, which offers a contract‑free option and the ability to cancel at any time. In summary, the final practice session at the Madring circuit delivered both excitement and cautionary moments. Antonelli’s dominant lap reaffirmed his status as the championship frontrunner, while Hamilton’s crash served as a reminder of the fine line between pushing the limits and maintaining safety. As teams prepare for qualifying, the evolving grip levels and the technical demands of the new circuit promise a thrilling showdown for the Spanish Grand Prix podium.