The final practice session before qualifying at the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix concluded with a dramatic twist after Lewis Hamilton crashed his Ferrari in the closing moments of FP3 at Spa-Francorchamps.
Hamilton’s session came to an abrupt end when he clipped the tyre barriers in the final minute, causing significant damage to his Ferrari. The seven-time world champion quickly reassured the team that he was unharmed, apologising over the radio after admitting he had badly damaged the car. The crash occurred at the same corner where Pierre Gasly suffered a similar accident during Friday’s running, leaving Ferrari with limited time to assess and repair the SF-26 before qualifying.
Before the incident, Hamilton had produced a strong enough lap to finish fifth overall, while team-mate Charles Leclerc ended the session sixth, over seven-tenths behind the fastest time.
Mercedes once again demonstrated its impressive form, with championship leader Kimi Antonelli setting the benchmark with a lap of 1:45.990. The young Italian narrowly outpaced McLaren’s Lando Norris by 0.139 seconds, while Max Verstappen placed third for Red Bull, just 0.148 seconds off the pace.
George Russell secured fourth place but remained noticeably slower than Antonelli throughout the session. The performance gap between the Mercedes team-mates will give Russell plenty to think about ahead of qualifying, as Antonelli continued to underline his title credentials with another commanding display.
Oscar Piastri finished seventh for McLaren, while Audi enjoyed another productive session as Nico Hülkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto claimed eighth and ninth respectively. Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar completed the top 10.
Racing Bulls drivers Arvid Lindblad and Liam Lawson followed in 11th and 12th, ahead of Alpine’s Franco Colapinto and Pierre Gasly. Haas duo Oliver Bearman and Esteban Ocon, Williams pair Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz, Cadillac drivers Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez, plus Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll rounded out the order.
With qualifying only hours away, Ferrari now face an anxious wait to ensure Hamilton’s damaged car is fully repaired, while Antonelli heads into the next session as the driver to beat after another standout performance.
