Kimi Antonelli, the championship leader, showcased his speed during the final practice session at the Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid, clocking in the fastest lap at 1:32.797. His performance outpaced Charles Leclerc of Ferrari by a narrow margin of 0.166 seconds.

The session took a dramatic turn when Lewis Hamilton crashed into the barriers just 20 minutes in. While attempting to set a quick lap, Hamilton outbraked himself at the last corner, resulting in a head-on collision with the barriers. Although the crash occurred at a relatively slow speed, it caused significant damage, dislodging the front wing, which then became stuck under the front right tire.

Despite Ferrari's advice to stop the car, Hamilton attempted to return to the pit lane to avoid losing crucial track time ahead of qualifying scheduled for later in the day. However, he ultimately halted in the middle sector.

Sky Sports F1 analyst Anthony Davidson criticized Hamilton's decision, stating, "Any young driver that is watching this right now, you don't do that... you've got to think of all these scenarios."

The incident prompted a 45-minute red flag, allowing marshals to repair the barriers and giving drivers a chance to complete more laps on the evolving track.

In addition to Antonelli's stellar performance, Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris from McLaren finished third and fourth, respectively. Max Verstappen of Red Bull took fifth, with George Russell in sixth.

The upcoming qualifying session promises excitement as drivers continue to improve their times on the new Madring circuit.