12:37
But that changes again, as Leclerc puts in a new session best with a 1m32.963s. Antonelli and Piastri go second and third, with Russell fourth as Verstappen is shoved down to fifth place.
Sainz at the Madring
© XPB Images
F1 Madrid LIVE: Qualifying reaction after surprise Norris Spanish GP pole
Live coverage of Saturday at the F1 Spanish Grand Prix
KEY MOMENTS
- Norris storms to Madrid pole
- Lewis Hamilton crash brings out red flag
- Leclerc fastest at red flag
The 14th round of the 2026 Formula 1 season takes place at the Spanish Grand Prix.
The Madring becomes F1's newest grand prix venue as it replaces Barcelona as the home of the Spanish Grand Prix. The street track layout features 22 turns packed into a 5.414km distance, with the banked Turn 12 the focal point.
In the lead-up to the weekend, drivers have commented on an expectation of red flags, with many in the lower reaches keen to take advantage of any opportunities that may present themselves.
However, Friday saw only one stoppage, as Arvid Lindblad lost control of his Racing Bulls car at Turn 13 in the second practice session.
Kimi Antonelli arrives at Madrid with an increased 66-point lead in the drivers' championship after taking victory in Monza from 19th place on the grid. This leaves team-mate and primary championship rival George Russell needing to claw back some of the margin this weekend, meaning he may be forced to take some uncomfortable risks.
Mercedes and Ferrari appeared to be the teams with the greatest pace, with McLaren, Red Bull, and Lindblad battling it out behind.
2026 Spanish Grand Prix Saturday schedule
FP3 11:30am BST - 12:30pm BST
Qualifying: 3:00pm BST - 4:00pm BST
12 Sep 2026
12:37
Lawson enters the top five, but moves down to sixth as Verstappen goes second with his first time of the session. He's just 0.190s off the pace.
12:36
Colapinto and Gasly both improve into the top eight, before Tsunoda goes seventh, to push both down a place.
12:35
Back to the action, and here come the first times of the resumed session.
12:33
Green light
FP3 resumes, and we are going again, as all the drivers attempt to leave the pits.
12:32
The barrier repairs are finally complete, and we are about to get going again.
12:31
The session will resume at 13:32 local time.
12:26
The session should have less than five minutes remaining. Instead, we are waiting for any form of an update.
Lewis Hamilton driving with damage to his Ferrari
12:22
It should be noted that we have F2 to fit in between FP3 and qualifying, so this cannot and will not be extended forever.
12:21
We're keeping a very close eye on the timing screen for any updates.
The stoppage has been good news for Racing Bulls and Williams, though. Lindblad's car is repaired and ready to go, while Albon's suspension fix might be completed in time for the resumption.
12:17
This is frankly embarrassing for all concerned. What should have been a quick fix has become a farce.
12:16
FP3 "temporarily stopped"
A bizarre message has popped up on the timing screen, indicating the "session will be temporarily stopped".
That means that the session clock has stopped with 15 minutes and 38 seconds remaining on the clock.
12:14
The marshals are now using a cherry picker to put the barriers back in place, but it seems to be making things worse, if anything.
12:11
The incident that began it all. Williams boss James Vowles has agreed that Hamilton should have stopped sooner rather than attempt to get back to the pits.
12:10
The barriers are still being pushed back into place and there's no clear indication why it's taking so long. This is just getting a little bit frustrating for everyone now.
12:07
Bad news for Albon after his seemingly gentle tap of the wall, he has damaged the suspension and will take no further part in the session, with Williams beginning to work on the fix.
12:06
Top 10
Currently, the top 10 are:
- Leclerc
- Antonelli
- Norris
- Hamilton
- Hulkenberg
- Bearman
- Ocon
- Tsunoda
- Bortoleto
- Colapinto
12:05
Barrier repairs are currently taking place, which is the cause of this extended delay. 25 minutes remain in the session.
12:01
Hamilton has criticised Ferrari's communication this season, but the team was beyond clear this time, and he just would not listen. This won't go down as one of his finest moments.
11:57
Finally, Hamilton has stopped. That will be a huge penalty, and likely a grid drop.
11:57
"Stop in the safest place possible," says Ferrari.
Hamilton keeps ignoring the team, despite having a puncture on his front-right.
11:55
Hamilton has reversed out. His front wing has gone under the car and his front-right has been lifted off the track surface by the trapped wing. He will get a penalty for driving with the car in this condition.
Ferrari has told him to stop, but he has refused.
11:54
RED FLAG!
Hamilton is off at the final corner, and the red flags are flying.
11:53
Double yellows again, but the track is quickly cleared again. Drivers are really beginning to test the limits after 25 minutes of FP3.
11:51
Leclerc now sets a stunning 1m33.332s to go top, just as Stroll runs off the track and causes the yellows to fly.