Antonelli fastest in final Spa practice as Hamilton crashes, Ferrari in race against time for qualifying

Antonelli sets the pace

Kimi Antonelli carried his Friday form into Saturday's final practice at Spa-Francorchamps, posting a 1:45.990 to lead the session. The Mercedes driver had already dominated FP2 with a 1:45.944, the only lap under 1:46 all weekend. Lando Norris was second and Max Verstappen third in both sessions, while George Russell took fourth in FP3 but struggled to an eighth-place finish on Friday, over a second off his teammate. Antonelli described a "huge turnaround" after a difficult FP1 where he finished sixth, crediting setup changes that restored front-end confidence and made the car competitive in both qualifying and race simulations.

We are fast also in the long run but others are close.

Hamilton crash triggers repair race

Lewis Hamilton's weekend took a sharp turn late in FP3 when he lost the front of his Ferrari, spun, and hit the barriers. The impact tore off the right rear tyre and damaged the rear wing and suspension; the team must also inspect the engine and gearbox. Ferrari mechanics now face a race against the clock to rebuild the car before qualifying at 16:00. Charles Leclerc ended the session sixth, with the SF-26 still lacking straight-line speed compared to Mercedes and Red Bull. Hamilton had been fifth before the incident, while Leclerc was eleventh in FP2 after failing to find a balance on soft tyres.

Antonelli and Sainz exchange words

Friday's opening session saw a heated moment between Antonelli and Carlos Sainz. The Mercedes driver was forced to abort a fast lap when he encountered Sainz's Williams moving slowly through a high-speed corner. Antonelli called the Spaniard an "idiot" over team radio. Sainz later told Spanish daily As that insulting a rival should be against the regulations and that Antonelli "should calm down a bit." The stewards took no action over the radio message, but Sainz himself received a warning for cutting the pit entry line and then staying out, an error he attributed to a late team instruction.

I don't think he should have called me an idiot on the radio. I think it's forbidden to insult a rival, so he should calm down a bit.

Norris penalty and midfield picture

Lando Norris will drop ten places on Sunday's grid after McLaren changed the electronic control unit on his car, a reliability concern linked to the Mercedes power unit. Oscar Piastri had a hydraulic issue that limited his running in FP2 and finished seventh in FP3. Behind the top three teams, Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto put both Audis inside the top ten, with Isak Hadjar rounding out the top ten for Red Bull.

What comes next

Qualifying begins at 16:00 on Saturday, with the race on Sunday at 15:00. Antonelli enters as the clear favourite for pole, but the Ferrari garage will be the centre of attention as mechanics work to have Hamilton's car ready in time. Norris's penalty means the reigning world champion will start no higher than eleventh, opening the door for Verstappen and Russell to gain ground in the championship fight.