Kimi Antonelli fastest in final F1 Belgian GP practice as Lewis Hamilton ‘destroys’ Ferrari in crash
Kimi Antonelli tops final practice as Lewis Hamilton crashes.
Formula 1 championship leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli was once again fastest in final practice at the Belgian Grand Prix as Lewis Hamilton crashed.
Antonelli, who also ended Friday practice with the quickest time, was 0.139 seconds clear of McLaren’s Lando Norris, while Max Verstappen wound up third-fastest for Red Bull, 0.148s off the pace.
There was a dramatic end to FP3 when Hamilton made a rare error and crashed his Ferrari at Turn 13.
2026 F1 Belgian Grand Prix - Final Practice Results
It was almost a carbon copy of Pierre Gasly’s accident from second practice as Hamilton lost control of his car on entry, ran through the gravel and clipped the same tyre barrier that Gasly found.
The impact caused significant damage to the rear-end of Hamilton’s Ferrari and forced the seven-time world champion to stop on track.
"I've destroyed the car mate. I'm sorry,” Hamilton reported over team radio.
Hamilton now faces an anxious wait to see if Ferrari can get his car ready in time for qualifying, which takes place less than two-and-a-half hours after the conclusion of FP3.
George Russell once again lagged behind his team-mate Antonelli as he finished 0.367s behind the Italian teenager on his way to fourth, ahead of Hamilton, who was nearly four tenths adrift in fifth.
Charles Leclerc was almost four tenths slower than Hamilton on his way to sixth in a difficult session for Ferrari, while McLaren’s Oscar Piastri took seventh.
It was a strong session for Audi as Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto both secured a spot in the top-10 in eighth and ninth respectively, while Isack Hadjar was 10th in his Red Bull.
A total of four drivers will take grid penalties for Sunday’s race at Spa-Francorchamps.
Norris and Lance Stroll will each serve 10-place grid drops, while Hadjar will start from the back of the grid and Fernando Alonso has also exceeded his allocation of power unit components.
Qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix takes place at 1500 UK time.
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