Andrea Kimi Antonelli set the fastest time in the final practice session (FP3) at the 2026 Formula 1® Belgian Grand Prix, while Lewis Hamilton ended the session with a crash at Les Fagnes. Antonelli’s lap of 1m45.990s on soft tyres marked the quickest effort of the session, underscoring his pace ahead of qualifying.
Antonelli’s time came early in the session and proved difficult for others to surpass. Max Verstappen and Lando Norris posted the second and third fastest times respectively, with Verstappen just 0.148 seconds shy of Antonelli’s benchmark. George Russell secured fourth place, followed by Hamilton in fifth, and Charles Leclerc in sixth. The session was marked by limited tyre usage in the early stages due to tyre allocation restrictions, affecting some teams’ running plans.
Hamilton’s crash occurred at the end of FP3 at the Les Fagnes corner, where he clipped the wall with his rear-right tyre. The impact caused a misalignment of the wheel and raised concerns about potential gearbox damage to his Ferrari car. This incident mirrored a similar crash by Pierre Gasly in the previous FP2 session at the same corner. Despite the crash, Hamilton’s lap times earlier in the session kept him within the top five.
The session also saw some operational challenges, including a pitlane stall for Isack Hadjar, who was able to continue after recovery. Track limits played a role as well, with Antonelli’s second flying lap deleted due to exceeding the boundaries. These factors contributed to a session that set the competitive tone ahead of qualifying and the race weekend.
With Antonelli leading the timesheets in FP3, the session highlighted the strong pace of Mercedes alongside the consistent performances of Red Bull Racing and McLaren. Ferrari’s focus will likely turn to repairing Hamilton’s car and preparing for qualifying after the late-session crash. The results from FP3 offer a snapshot of the challenges and opportunities teams face at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit.
The final practice session at the Belgian Grand Prix underlined the fine margins in Formula 1® competition, with Antonelli’s pace and Hamilton’s crash shaping the narrative going into the decisive qualifying phase.