Kimi Antonelli set the fastest time in final free practice for the Spanish Grand Prix at the Madring circuit in Madrid on Saturday, while Lewis Hamilton and Oliver Bearman both crashed into the wall, leaving them in a difficult position.
Mercedes emerged as the strongest car overall at Madring, at least when it comes to preserving grip on the soft tyre compound over a single fast lap.
Antonelli quickest through sector three
Antonelli was the only driver who still had satisfactory grip from his rear tyres through the punishing third sector of the lap, and he fittingly went on to post the best time of the FP3 session.
The Mercedes driver's ability to hold on to rear-tyre performance late in the lap gave him the edge over the rest of the field on a circuit where tyre wear proved decisive.
Ferrari struggles late in the lap
Ferrari's package was not bad, but the session showed the team still struggles to keep its tyres working at the end of a lap.
Despite that, Charles Leclerc had a strong session, setting the second-fastest time of the day behind Antonelli.
Hamilton and Bearman hit the wall
Hamilton and Bearman both had accidents during the session, making contact with the wall in incidents that leave them facing a difficult task heading into qualifying.
Antonelli, an Italian driver who joined Mercedes as a rookie for the 2025 season, has been racing alongside more experienced teammates in his debut Formula 1 campaign. Hamilton, a seven-time world champion, moved to Ferrari in 2025 after more than a decade with Mercedes, while Bearman is a young British driver who has combined a Formula 1 seat with a role in Ferrari's driver academy. Leclerc has been Ferrari's lead driver for several seasons.
Madring is the new street circuit in Madrid that has joined the Formula 1 calendar as host of the Spanish Grand Prix.
