Kimi Antonelli goes fastest in red-flag filled Spanish Grand Prix final practice

Mercedes Kimi Antonelli topped the final hour of practice in a red-flag filled session after Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton and Haas’ Oliver Bearman crashed out. 

Feature image credit: Mercedes F1

Antonelli made it two-for-two in Madrid after claiming the fastest time in final practice, having taken the fastest time on FP2, on Friday afternoon, pipping Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri.

Antonelli claimed the fastest lap with a 1m 32.797s sprint around the Madring, beating Leclerc and Piastri by a tenth of a second. His closest championship rival, George Russell finished the session down in sixth, seven-tenths behind. 

The session wasn’t without issue after two red flag spells stopped vital running in Madrid. The first stop was due to Hamilton’s final corner crash, and ended by Bearman hitting the wall in the final minute. 

When the pit exit light turned green, it was the usual process for the F1 grid – despite it being a brand new circuit – with no one heading straight out when the session started. It wasn’t until after five minutes had passed before a car had ventured onto the circuit, in the form of Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto, followed by his teammate, Nico Hulkenberg.

Lewis Hamilton risks a grid penalty after final practice crash at Spanish Grand Prix

As the field started to trickle out onto the circuit, softs were the preferred tyres to go onto for their first stints of FP3, whilst the Audis – once again – stepped away from the norm, and opted for the medium compounds. 

Hamilton brought out the second red flag of the weekend, and the first of the final practice session at the half-way point. 

Hamilton outbroke himself into the final corner of the Madring, and locked up in a bid to stop the car. However, the seven-time world champion nose-dived into the barrier. He managed to get it out back onto the circuit and tried to get it back to the pit lane. 

Ferrari quickly ordered Hamilton to stop out onto the circuit, but it took the Briton half a lap to obey that instruction with his front wing trapped underneath the nosecone. 

As a result of the lengthy red-flag, with the marshals struggling to fix the barrier, the officials opted to temporarily stop the session. After a lengthy delay, the session finally resumed with 15 minutes left on the clock, having been resumed by race control. 

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The session did not get back underway without incident, as Antonelli moved to the top of the timing boards.

In the final minute of the session, FP3 was red-flagged for a second and final time after Oliver Bearman crashed at turn 11, just before the iconic banked La Monumental corner. 

Haas’ Oliver Bearman was okay and unhurt by the incident, climbing out of the car. 

Onboards showed that he had lost the back of the car on the exit of turn 10, spinning around and slammed into the barrier at speed backwards. The entire left side was heavily damaged with both left tyres hanging on by their tethers. 

FP3 Classification:

1. Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes – 1m 32.797s
2. Charles Leclerc, Ferrari +0.166s
3. Oscar Piastri, McLaren +0.189s
4. Lando Norris, McLaren +0.236s
5. Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing +0.375s
6. George Russell, Mercedes +0.702s
7. Liam Lawson, Red Bull Racing +1.105s
8. Nico Hulkenberg, Audi +1.136s
9. Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari +1.487s
10. Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi +1.491s
11. Franco Colapinto, Alpine +1.549s
12. Esteban Ocon, Haas +1.633s
13. Oliver Bearman, Haas +1.684s
14. Arvid Lindblad, Racing Bulls +1.708s
15. Yuki Tsunoda, Racing Bulls +1.768s
16. Pierre Gasly, Alpine +2.174s
17. Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin +2.223s
18. Carlos Sainz, Williams +2.667s
19. Lance Stroll, Aston Martin +2.773s
20. Sergio Perez, Cadillac +3.644s
21. Valtteri Bottas, Cadillac +3.873s
22. Alexander Albon, Williams – No Time Set 

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Kamron Kent

Hi, I’m Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion.

I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I’ve loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.

Kamron Kent

Hi, I'm Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion. I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I've loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.