(Motorsport-Total.com) – The third free practice for the Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid, the last session before qualifying, was dominated by an almost 39-minute interruption following a crash by superstar Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari). The best time was secured by championship leader Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes), who mastered the brand-new Madring at the trade fair grounds in Madrid in 1:32.797 minutes.
Read more Formula 1 Live Ticker: Practice interrupted after Hamilton crash
For Hamilton, the final practice lasted only 23 minutes. The seven-time world champion was just on a fast lap when he crashed straight into the track boundary at the last corner. He still tried to drag himself back to the pits under his own power. Ultimately, however, he had to stop at the side of the track.
In the last minute of the session, there was another off and another red flag: Oliver Bearman (Haas) got stuck in the SAFER barrier exiting turn 10. “Don’t worry. We’ll rebuild it for qualifying,” said his race engineer regarding the completely demolished left side of the chassis. However, given the extent of the damage, this will be a challenge for the Haas mechanics.
For ORF expert Alexander Wurz, Bearman’s off was a “driving error. He turned in a bit too early.” And in his opinion, one that could have consequences: “I strongly doubt they will get the car ready by qualifying.”
The result almost took a back seat due to the accidents. The closest pursuers of Antonelli were Charles Leclerc (Ferrari/+0.166), Oscar Piasti (+0.189), Lando Norris (both McLaren/+0.236), Max Verstappen (Red Bull/+0.375), George Russell (Mercedes/+0.702), and Liam Lawson (Red Bull/+1.105).
An exciting detail on the side: The absolute fastest in the first sector, where top speed is especially important, was Nico Hülkenberg (Audi). Presumably, the German simply used too much energy there, as he ended up in 8th place on the timing sheet, 1.136 seconds behind Antonelli (and 0.355 ahead of teammate Gabriel Bortoleto).
“For me, Antonelli is the favorite,” says Wurz. “You can’t underestimate Russell, but Kimi manages better in the last sector to handle the rear tire. And I see Ferrari as the first who can threaten Mercedes.”
On the topic:
Result: 3rd Free Practice GP Spain, Madrid
F1 Ticker: Paddock live with Ruben Zimmermann
No action for five minutes at the start of the session
The Formula 1 drivers hesitated for five minutes at the start of the session before anyone went out on track. The Audi drivers Bortoleto and Hülkenberg were then the first to start their training program. Initially, Hülkenberg was also the faster within the team: after four laps, he led Bortoleto by 1.112 seconds (1:34.665 minutes).
However, Hülkenberg’s best time did not last long. After fifteen minutes, Hamilton had set a new reference time of 1:34.284 minutes, 0.149 seconds ahead of Leclerc. Many had not yet completed a really fast lap, and one had not been out at all: Arvid Lindblad (14th/Racing Bulls/+1.708) had produced a total loss in his crash on Friday, and the necessary chassis rebuild was not completed in time for the start of practice.
When the top teams had set their first times, it was again Antonelli who set the pace (1:33.664 minutes). Verstappen (Red Bull) was still in the pits after 20 minutes, and his teammate Lawson complained over the radio: “The rear axle is locking up quite a bit.” Probably a similar balance problem to the one Verstappen struggled with at the Monza weekend.
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Radio ignored: What happened after Hamilton’s crash?
The session was exactly 23 minutes old when it came to a halt due to the first red flag. Hamilton had understeered straight into the TecPro barrier at the last corner with a stationary inside front wheel. Wurz: “He was simply too fast, overdid the braking point, and missed the turn-in point.”
The front wing on the Ferrari was damaged, but Hamilton engaged reverse gear and tried to drive back to the pits. His right front wheel had jammed with the front wing and was stationary. Hamilton was instructed by the race engineer to stop the car but ignored this instruction twice and initially continued: “If I can, I’ll get to the pits. I’ll do it safely.”
Until he finally stopped on the track and got out. Hamilton climbed onto the back seat of a scooter and was taken back to the paddock by a marshal. His practice was thus over. Bitter, as Hamilton was just on a fast lap and with a pink middle sector was about to beat the then-standing Leclerc best time (1:33.332 minutes).
The interruption dragged on because the track safety took relatively long to restore the TecPro barriers. Normally, the clock continues to run during such an interruption. In Madrid, however, the race control decided at 15:38 minutes remaining to temporarily stop the clock. Presumably so that the teams could still complete one or two laps of practice.
In total, the Hamilton red phase lasted almost 39 minutes. When it finally continued at 13:32 local time, the session would have actually been over without stopping the clock.
Formula 1 Madrid schedule: What’s next?
Madrid is the last race weekend of the 2026 Formula 1 World Championship on European soil. After that, the season continues with round 15 at the street circuit in Baku (Azerbaijan). The last two races of the season in Qatar and Abu Dhabi are still officially on the 2026 Formula 1 calendar but are uncertain due to the military situation in the Middle East.
At the Spanish Grand Prix, the first sporting decision falls in qualifying on Saturday afternoon, which starts at 16:00 CEST. The race start in Madrid on Sunday is at 15:00 CEST.
The race weekend will be broadcast live on Sky (Germany), ORF (Austria), and SRF (Switzerland) (Here is the complete TV overview for Formula 1 in Madrid!).
The usual Formula 1 live streams can be followed by fans on Saturday and Sunday evening on the YouTube channel of Formel1.de. With a summary of the events and analyses well beyond the end of the TV broadcasts. Host Kevin Scheuren presents the streams again with editor-in-chief Christian Nimmervoll as expert.
The provisional start time of the live streams on Saturday and Sunday is set for 21:00 CEST.
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