Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) topped the timesheet in the third and final Free Practice session of the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix, held on Saturday, July 18 at Spa-Francorchamps. The Italian driver set a benchmark of 1:45.990, edging McLaren's Lando Norris by 0.139s and Red Bull's Max Verstappen by 0.148s.
The session began cautiously under sunny and dry conditions, with meaningful lap times arriving only after the 20-minute mark. George Russell (Mercedes) finished fourth, 0.367s off his teammate's pace, complaining of a lack of straight-line speed and losing six-tenths in the first sector alone.
Ferrari's nightmare before qualifying
Lewis Hamilton, driving for Ferrari, ended FP3 in fifth place, 0.392s behind the leader. However, the Briton's session ended prematurely when he lost the rear of his SF-26 at Turn 13 — a fast left-hander — spinning into the gravel and glancing the barriers. The impact damaged the suspension, floor, and rear wing. The Scuderia now faces a race against time to repair the car ahead of qualifying, scheduled later on Saturday.