Antonelli fastest in Belgium FP3 as Hamilton crashes at Spa-Francorchamps

By Daniel Foster — 18 July 2026 — 3 min read

Kimi Antonelli recorded the fastest time in Free Practice 3 ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix, with Lando Norris of McLaren finishing just behind him. The session concluded with Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton crashing his car, requiring his team to work against the clock to repair it before qualifying later on Saturday.

Antonelli continued his strong performance from Friday, outpacing Norris by just over one-tenth of a second in the final hour-long practice session. The incident involving Hamilton occurred on his final lap, where he lost control of his Ferrari, veering into the gravel and making contact with the barrier. Hamilton communicated to his pit wall, “I have destroyed the car mate, sorry.” He was observed inspecting the significant damage to the rear right of his vehicle, with the wheel facing an unusual direction.

Practice Session Highlights

The practice session began with a delayed start for many drivers, as conditions were sunny and dry. It took nearly 20 minutes for most of the field to emerge onto the track. Hamilton was among the first leading drivers to set a time, initially posting a 1m 47.436s on Pirelli’s soft tires. Oscar Piastri of McLaren was only slightly slower shortly after.

Racing Bulls’ Arvid Lindblad briefly held the top spot before Hamilton reclaimed it with a 1m 46.789s. However, Antonelli then set the fastest time of 1m 45.990s, placing him eight-tenths ahead of Hamilton. George Russell, Antonelli’s teammate, finished P4, experiencing a lack of straight-line speed and losing six-tenths in the first sector.

Max Verstappen initially placed second, four-tenths behind Hamilton, and later improved to P2 within two-tenths of Antonelli, despite briefly going off track at Turn 9. Russell also made attempts to improve his time but remained a second behind Antonelli.

Other drivers faced challenges during the session. Isack Hadjar of Red Bull, who will incur a grid penalty this weekend due to new power unit components, stopped in the pit lane exit and later nearly collided with Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin. Antonelli himself had to abort a flying lap after running wide at La Source.

Grid Penalties and Qualifying Preparations

Several drivers are facing grid penalties for the upcoming race. In addition to Norris, who has a 10-place penalty for taking a new power unit, Hadjar and both Aston Martin drivers, Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll, also face penalties for new power unit elements. Hadjar and Alonso are expected to start from the back of the field.

Despite the crash, Hamilton is expected to participate in qualifying. Ferrari engineers were seen working diligently on his car to ensure it is ready. The incident occurred at the Fagnes chicane, similar to a previous crash by Pierre Gasly in FP2.

The final standings for FP3 saw Antonelli at the top, followed by Norris, Verstappen, and Russell. Hamilton finished P5, while his teammate Charles Leclerc was P6. Piastri, Nico Hulkenberg, Gabriel Bortoleto, and Hadjar completed the top ten.

The qualifying session is scheduled to take place later on Saturday.

Source: formula1.com