Leclerc fastest in final Spanish Grand Prix practice, Hamilton crashes car
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc set the fastest time in the final practice session ahead of the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid, Spain. His teammate Lewis Hamilton crashed the Ferrari at the new Madring Formula 1 circuit, causing the session to be interrupted by red flags.
Crash at the final corner
The seven-time world champion locked his wheels and hit the barriers at the final corner. The incident occurred just over half an hour before the end of practice. At that point, Hamilton was fourth in the standings, while Leclerc led the timesheets.
After the impact, the Briton was able to reverse and attempted to bring the damaged Ferrari back to the pit lane, completing almost a full lap. This happened despite the team’s instruction to stop the car in a safe place. Hamilton eventually stopped: the front wing was lodged underneath the car and the front-right tyre was punctured.
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Barrier repairs and qualifying
As TimesLIVE reports, Hamilton returned to the pits on a moped after stopping the car. The session was halted by red flags, and with 15 minutes remaining, the clock was temporarily stopped for barrier repairs.
Qualifying is due to take place later on Saturday. Mercedes driver George Russell said the day before that overtaking at the new circuit could be difficult. According to him, the closely positioned walls of Madring leave less room for error than the Monaco circuit, but involve higher speeds.
