Championship leader Kimi Antonelli topped final practice for the Spanish Grand Prix as heavy crashes for Ollie Bearman and Lewis Hamilton disrupted the session.
The Mercedes driver set a 1:32.797 around the unforgiving Madring street circuit, edging Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc by 0.166 seconds.
These tight margins highlight Charles Leclerc’s street track prowess ahead of a fiercely contested qualifying hour.
Urgent Rebuild Needed At Haas
Bearman suffered a severe impact during the closing moments of the session.
The British driver lost the rear of his Haas through the Turn 10 right-hander.
His car sustained significant left-side structural damage against the concrete wall, leaving mechanics facing a monumental rebuild.
Hamilton Ignores Ferrari Instructions
Earlier, Hamilton caused a lengthy red flag after locking his front tyres into Turn 22.
The seven-time world champion hit the barrier and dislodged his front wing.
Despite repeated radio instructions from Ferrari to stop, Hamilton attempted to drag his damaged car back to the pits.
The broken wing subsequently pierced his front-right tyre before he finally abandoned the effort.
Speaking on Sky Sports, analyst Anthony Davidson criticised the decision.
“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,” he said.
The back-to-back incidents underline the absolute single-lap commitment required across this new venue.
Haas must now race against the clock to prepare Bearman for the grid-setting session.
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