Antonelli Leads Final Practice Session
Kimi Antonelli recorded the fastest time in Free Practice 3 ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix. The Mercedes driver continued his strong performance from FP2 on Friday, setting the best time in the final one-hour session held on Saturday. The session was interrupted for 30 minutes due to incidents on the track.
Despite the need for teams and drivers to gather information at the new venue before a crucial Qualifying session, cars did not venture out until five minutes had elapsed. Leading contenders, including Lando Norris, waited longer to ensure the most representative running possible. Norris’s McLaren had experienced a gearbox issue, causing him to miss most of FP2.
Early in the session, the reigning World Champion aborted a flying lap after cutting the chicane at Turn 5. The Ferraris of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc then moved to the top of the timesheets. Carlos Sainz, a local driver, narrowly avoided contact with the barrier at Turn 7. Earlier, Williams driver Alex Albon grazed the wall at the exit of Turn 20, damaging a rear track rod.
Antonelli initially moved to the top with a time of 1m 33.664s at the 20-minute mark. Shortly after, Leclerc lowered the benchmark to 1m 33.332s. Hamilton was attempting to surpass his teammate’s time when he crashed into the barrier at the final corner, prompting the first red flag of the session.
Incidents Disrupt Practice
Following his crash, Hamilton, a seven-time World Champion, tried to return to the pits with a damaged front wing and a front-right puncture. However, he was instructed by his team to stop multiple times and eventually pulled off the track. The session was temporarily halted for barrier repairs, resuming with only 15 minutes remaining.
This restart led to a flurry of activity as drivers aimed to complete a fast lap. Among them was Arvid Lindblad, who was back on track for the first time since his crash in FP2, after Racing Bulls worked to fix his newly-rebuilt car. Leclerc improved his best time, becoming the first driver to break the 1m 33s barrier with a 1m 32.963s.
Antonelli’s initial attempt after the restart was three tenths slower than Oscar Piastri, while George Russell was half a second behind in fourth. Norris closed to within one-tenth of Leclerc’s leading time on his third flying lap, despite limited mileage. Antonelli then set a time of 1m 32.797s to reclaim the top spot with five minutes left in the session.
This remained the fastest time as a second red flag was deployed in the final minute. Ollie Bearman crashed his Haas at high speed through Turn 10, creating a race against time for his team to prepare for Qualifying. The incidents highlighted the challenges drivers faced at the new venue.
Qualifying Preparations Underway
Antonelli’s fastest time placed him just over one-tenth ahead of Leclerc. The top 10 also included Piastri, Norris, Max Verstappen for Red Bull, and Russell for Mercedes. Liam Lawson’s Red Bull, Nico Hulkenberg for Audi, Hamilton, and Gabriel Bortoleto, also for Audi, completed the top positions.
Other notable positions included Franco Colapinto in P11 for Alpine, followed by the Haas cars of Esteban Ocon and Bearman. Lindblad and Yuki Tsunoda of Racing Bulls were also present. Pierre Gasly’s Alpine was P16, ahead of Fernando Alonso for Aston Martin, Sainz, and Lance Stroll, also for Aston Martin. The Cadillacs of Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas, along with Albon, who recorded no time, rounded out the field.
In a separate development, George Russell later reached the Mercedes garage and requested his mechanics to inspect the rear right tyre for damage. His teammate, Kimi Antonelli, was recorded in sixth place on the timesheets, with Russell in seventh, while Liam Lawson remained the quickest in the initial qualifying session. Alex Albon moved out of the drop zone, positioning himself above his Williams teammate Carlos Sainz and into P15.
The results of Free Practice 3 provide a glimpse into the potential performance for the upcoming Qualifying session, which is expected to be highly competitive. Teams will now focus on analysing the data from this disrupted session to fine-tune their strategies for the rest of the weekend’s events.
Source: bbc.co.uk