Antonelli fastest again in crash-hit final practice

Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli emerged victorious in the final practice session at the Madring circuit in Madrid, despite the circuit being dubbed a "car-killer". The 20-year-old Italian set the fastest lap of the practice with a time of one minute and 32.797 seconds, leaving behind Ferrari's Charles Leclerc by just 0.166 seconds.

The session was marred by several incidents, including a red flag stoppage lasting 54 minutes due to an accident involving seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton. The incident led to an additional quarter hour being added to the session, resulting in a frantic and intense finale. Antonelli's pure talent shone through, with Leclerc in second place, Oscar Piastri and world champion Lando Norris in third, and Max Verstappen taking fifth for Red Bull.

George Russell of Mercedes secured sixth place, while Liam Lawson of Red Bull, Nico Hulkenberg of Audi, and Gabriel Bortoleto of Audi rounded out the top ten. The crash-free opening hour of Friday gave way to a more eventful second day, with a total of seven crashes being reported, including one for Racing Bull's Arvid Lindblad and another for Oliver Bearman of Haas.