Two heavy crashes brought red flags and chaos to the last practice before the Spanish Grand Prix. Kimi Antonelli set the fastest time while teams scrambled for data. Hamilton and Bearman’s accidents left their crews racing to fix cars ahead of qualifying.
The final practice before the Spanish Grand Prix turned chaotic after crashes from Lewis Hamilton and Ollie Bearman forced two red flags, leaving teams with little time to prepare for qualifying. Kimi Antonelli made the most of the interruptions, setting the fastest lap while others lost valuable track time.
The session took place at Madrid’s new circuit, where teams were already short on data. Many drivers, including Lando Norris, waited before heading out, hoping to maximize their limited laps. Every minute lost to repairs or stoppages meant less information for the crucial qualifying session later in the day. With no previous races at the Madring, each lap mattered for setup and strategy.
Race Control unusually froze the session timer during barrier repairs after Hamilton's crash, highlighting the extent of the delay.
Hamilton’s crash at the final corner was the first major incident. He was on a fast lap, close to Antonelli’s early benchmark, when he hit the barriers head-on. The red flag came out immediately, and his Mercedes needed a new front wing and front-right tyre. Charles Leclerc, who had just gone fastest, tried to return to the pits but was told to stop on track, adding to the disruption. Hamilton attempted to continue with a damaged car before being ordered to stop, which further broke up the session for several teams.
Once the barrier repairs were finished, drivers rushed back out. Arvid Lindblad rejoined after his own crash in FP2, and Racing Bulls worked quickly to get his car ready. Leclerc was the first to dip under 1m 33s, but Antonelli answered with a 1m 32.797s, reclaiming the top spot in the final minutes. Reports from RacingNews365 and MotorsportWeek confirmed Antonelli finished about a tenth ahead of Leclerc.
With time running out, Bearman crashed hard at Turn 10, bringing out a second red flag and freezing the order. Haas faced a tight turnaround to repair his car before qualifying. The session ended with Antonelli just ahead of Leclerc, followed by Oscar Piastri, Norris, Max Verstappen, George Russell, Liam Lawson, Nico Hulkenberg, Hamilton, and Gabriel Bortoleto in the top ten.
Media outlets highlighted that the new Madring circuit proved especially punishing for mistakes, with early incidents also involving Arvid Lindblad in previous practice sessions. The challenging nature of the track has been a major talking point throughout the weekend.
Further down, Franco Colapinto led Alpine in 11th, with Esteban Ocon and Bearman’s Haas next, then Lindblad and Yuki Tsunoda for Racing Bulls. Pierre Gasly, Fernando Alonso, Carlos Sainz, Lance Stroll, Sergio Perez, Valtteri Bottas, and Alex Albon rounded out the field. Albon did not set a time after damaging his Williams early in the session.
Several teams now face urgent repairs with little time before qualifying. The unpredictable session and compressed schedule have exposed the risks of the new Madrid circuit, catching out even experienced drivers. Antonelli’s pace and the disrupted field set up a qualifying session where preparation and quick recovery may matter as much as outright speed. Bearman was unhurt, but Haas faces a race to get his car ready, which could affect starting positions and strategy.
