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Hamilton and Bearman crash in final Madrid F1 practice as Antonelli tops FP3

Hamilton and Bearman crash in final Madrid F1 practice as Antonelli tops FP3

Summary
Lewis Hamilton and Ollie Bearman both crashed in a red-flag-filled final practice for the Spanish Grand Prix, while Kimi Antonelli set the fastest lap of the weekend for Mercedes.

Kimi Antonelli headed a red-flagged final practice for the Spanish Grand Prix, topping the timesheets at the Madring with a 1m32.797s lap. The Mercedes driver finished 0.166s clear of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, while the session was interrupted by crashes for Lewis Hamilton and Ollie Bearman.

Why it matters:

With qualifying hours away, Ferrari faces a rushed repair job after Hamilton's heavy impact at the final corner. Haas also has work to do on Bearman's damaged car, meaning the crash-hit session could have consequences for the grid.

The details:

  • Hamilton crashed 23 minutes in after setting the fastest middle sector, locking up and hitting the Tecpro barrier nose-first. He tried to limp back, but a punctured right-front tyre and dragging front wing forced him to stop at Turn 14.
  • The red flag lasted 39 minutes, with race control pausing the clock to prevent the session from expiring.
  • Bearman's late spin at Turn 10 put his car backwards into the barrier, causing significant left-side damage. Haas assured him they'd get it rebuilt, but it's not guaranteed.
  • Antonelli's lap was the fastest of the weekend so far, with Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris third and fourth for McLaren.
  • Max Verstappen was fifth for Red Bull, while Alex Albon failed to set a time after brushing the wall at the penultimate corner.

What's next:

Mercedes, Ferrari, and McLaren are separated by just 0.236s at the top, setting up a tight qualifying battle. The big question is whether Hamilton and Bearman can take part after their crashes.

Original Article :https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/hamilton-bearman-crash-in-final-madrid-f1-pra...

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