Antonelli sets pace in Madrid FP3 as Hamilton and Bearman crash
Kimi Antonelli set the fastest time in a fractured final practice session ahead of the inaugural Madrid Grand Prix, navigating a chaotic hour punctuated by red flags for Lewis Hamilton and Oliver Bearman.
The Mercedes driver posted a 1m 32.797s to edge Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc by 0.166s but the session was ultimately defined by a series of costly incidents that have left several teams scrambling ahead of qualifying.
Hamilton brings out the red flags
The most significant disruption came just before the halfway mark when Lewis Hamilton locked up and slid straight into the barriers at the final corner. The impact broke the Ferrari driver’s front wing and brought the session to an immediate halt.
Lewis Hamilton locks up and hits the barrier! 😳 Here is how the incident unfolded… 👀 #F1 #SpanishGP https://t.co/YDTN59NAlC
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 12, 2026
Hamilton managed to reverse out of the wall and desperately tried to limp his damaged car back to the pit lane so his mechanics could attempt a mid-session repair. However, the Ferrari pit wall intervened and ordered him to park the car to avoid driving in an unsafe condition.
🔴 RED FLAG 🔴 LEWIS HAMILTON HITS THE WALL! 😱 He has managed to reverse out and is driving back to the pits dragging his front wing #F1 #SpanishGP https://t.co/1PiCJ2AxaR
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 12, 2026
The subsequent barrier repairs proved far more complex than anticipated. With the barriers refusing to easily slot back into place, race control was forced to temporarily stop the session clock at 15:38 to guarantee the field a minimum amount of running on the green track.
Bearman and Albon add to the casualty list
The chaos was bookended by further costly shunts across the grid. With just minutes remaining on the clock Haas driver Oliver Bearman lost the rear of his car through Turns 10 and 11.
He spun heavily into the barriers to cause a second red flag that ended the session prematurely. Bearman walked away unhurt but his car was left severely damaged with a tyre resting on top of the chassis, casting severe doubt over his participation in qualifying.
🔴 RED FLAG 🔴 OLLIE BEARMAN IS IN THE BARRIER AT THE END OF FP3! 😱 He is out of the car and okay #F1 #SpanishGP https://t.co/iEzp9lyIpk
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 12, 2026
Earlier in the hour Alex Albon also found the wall. The Williams driver clipped the barriers and broke a rear track rod, ruling him out of the remainder of the session. His team principal James Vowles noted the delay would make qualifying far more unpredictable with the entire grid denied crucial track time.
📻 "I touched the wall on the rear left I think" Alex Albon may have a bit of damage on his Williams 🧐 #F1 #SpanishGP https://t.co/42eZzYHWzD
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 12, 2026
Albon’s team mate Carlos Sainz also suffered a massive lock-up at Turn 7 but managed to brake just in time to avoid the wall before reversing back onto the circuit.
Carlos Sainz almost finds the barrier at Turn 7! 😱 He just keeps his Williams out of the wall there 👀 #F1 #SpanishGP
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 12, 2026
Traffic troubles and tight margins
Beyond the heavy impacts the tight confines of the Madring created constant headaches regarding traffic. Lando Norris, who missed nearly all of FP2 on Friday with a gearbox issue, put in a remarkable recovery drive to finish fourth fastest.
However, the McLaren driver suffered a big slide in the third sector during his final run and ended up heavily impeding Pierre Gasly. The incident highlighted a recurring theme of the weekend, with looming barriers offering drivers very few places to jump aside for faster cars.
Mercedes and Ferrari set the benchmark
When the track was actually clear enough for flying laps Antonelli capitalised on the evolving surface to jump to the top of the timing sheets. Leclerc finished second ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Norris. Max Verstappen rounded out the top five for Red Bull Racing while George Russell finished sixth.
Elsewhere Arvid Lindblad finally managed to turn his first laps of the day for Racing Bulls. The rookie was forced to sit out the start of the session while his mechanics completed a lengthy chassis change following his own heavy crash on Friday.
