Antonelli still fastest in Madrid ahead of qualifying for F1’s Spanish GP as Hamilton crashes

MADRID (AP) — Kimi Antonelli stayed on top at the new Madring track on Saturday, setting the fastest time in practice and establishing himself as the driver to beat ahead of the decisive qualifying session for the inaugural Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid.

The final practice session was marked by two red flags following crashes by Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton and Haas’ Oliver Bearman. 

Qualifying later Saturday was likely to be crucial ahead of Sunday’s race, as the hybrid urban circuit debuting in F1 ‘s return to the Spanish capital area after more than four decades yielded few overtaking opportunities.

Antonelli, coming off an epic comeback win in front of his home fans in the Italian GP, set a time of 1 minute, 32.797 seconds in his Mercedes.

Hamilton’s Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc was second fastest, nearly two tenths of a second behind Antonelli. The McLarens of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris ended third and fourth, respectively.

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen came next, ahead of Antonelli’s Mercedes teammate George Russell, who had been fastest in the first practice session. 

The 20-year-old Antonelli, who leads Russell by 66 points in the drivers’ standings, was quickest in the second session.

There were a few other incidents in the final practice session, with Alexander Albon brushing the wall and his Williams teammate Carlos Sainz just barely avoiding hitting the barrier after not being able to turn on a corner.

Hamilton’s crash prompts red flag

Hamilton went straight on the final corner after locking up and crashed less than half-an-hour into the one-hour practice session, forcing the first red flag and a long delay as workers tried to restore the safety barriers.

Hamilton, who has been at odds with Ferrari recently, initially questioned the team’s request for him to stop the damaged car instead of returning to the garage after he reversed back into the track. His front wing was broken and got tangled underneath the right-front tire.

“Cars’ going … I can make it back,” Hamilton said in one of the radio exchanges apparently trying to convince the team that he could return to the pitlane with the damaged car. He eventually parked in a safe area by the track and lost the rest of the session.

The practice ended in another red flag because of a hard crash by Bearman, who apparently lost control after clipping the wall.

The 5.4-kilometer (3.3-mile) Madring track, the newest circuit to join the F1 calendar since Las Vegas debuted in 2023, has been giving drivers little margin for error. 

The Spanish GP is returning to the Madrid region for the first time in 45 years. It took place at the Jarama circuit in the capital’s outskirts in 1981. The Jerez de la Frontera track in southern Spain hosted races from 1986-90, and in 1994 and 1997. Barcelona has been hosting races in Spain the past few years. Madring signed a contract with F1 through 2035.

___

See AP’s full auto racing coverage here