Russell beats Piastri to top spot in final Barcelona practice

George Russell topped final practice at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix ahead of Oscar Piastri, while title leader Kimi Antonelli failed to log a representative time owing to traffic.

Russell controlled the session, though hot conditions dictated the pace, with the track temperature again soaring past 120 degrees F in an ambient temperature of 88 degrees F.

Several drivers remained garaged for the opening 20 minutes and, when they emerged from pit lane, set few laps on soft rubber that were rapidly degrading. Russell, on his way to top spot, completed only 11 laps. His fastest time came from his first performance run on his second set of softs, setting the benchmark at 1m15.679s with a purple middle sector. The time was more than 0.25s slower than Norris’s benchmark from Friday afternoon, however.

Piastri backloaded his tire grip for the final sector, where he ended the session fastest, but his McLaren was 0.214s off the pace by the end of the hour. The Australian was only 0.029s quicker than the late-improving Charles Leclerc in the lead Ferrari, making it three teams in the top three separated by less than 0.3s.

Norris followed in fourth, only 0.003s slower than Leclerc, after setting the fastest time in the first sector but running out of grip in the final split.

Lewis Hamilton was a step behind the leaders, lapping 0.702s off the pace and almost half a second slower than Leclerc. He was only 0.053s ahead of Max Verstappen in a difficult-looking Red Bull Racing car.

Antonelli ended the session seventh and 0.821s behind his teammate, but the result was unrepresentative, with the Italian’s first attempt at a flying lap spoiled by a slow-moving Lance Stroll leaving pit lane and appearing on the racing line into the first turn.

His subsequent gesticulations out of the cockpit as he rounded Turn 2 – “Oh, my god; Stroll, as always,” he radioed – were noted by the stewards, who will investigate Antonelli for “erratic” driving after the session.

The championship leader attempted to cool his tires for another attempt but was again balked by traffic, this time a Haas. With the tires struggling to stand up to the exertion, he returned agitatedly to pit lane without a time.

Isack Hadjar was a rare driver to improve with his second run on used tires, albeit with a pit stop between runs, moving up to eighth and 1.005s off the pace in eighth.

Nico Hulkenberg was ninth for Audi ahead of Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad in 10th.

Gabriel Bortoleto headed Liam Lawson in 11th and 12th. Pierre Gasly, whose car was rebuilt around another chassis overnight, was 14th ahead of Carlos Sainz and Haas teammates Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman.

Alex Albon was 18th ahead of Sergio Perez, who was more than 3s off the pace, and Fernando Alonso.

Valtteri Bottas was 21st despite his session ending in the gravel at the exit of Turn 11 after his Cadillac’s brakes failed.

Bottas had a snap over the curb exiting Turn 9, and onboard cameras subsequently caught him downshifting as he hurtled towards the tight Turn 10. Unable to slow the car, he steered helplessly off the road, where the stones brought him safety to a halt.

“Lost my brake pedals – it’s gone,” he radioed. “Like, the pedal is gone. I got very lucky there.”

Stroll completed the order at 4.4s off the pace.

RESULTS