F1 Barcelona - Catalunya GP Free Practice 3 Result Mercedes driver George Russell topped the final practice session (FP3) at the 2026 F1 Spanish Grand Prix, setting a blistering pace of 1:15.679. Russell excelled in the high-speed corners of the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya's middle sector, strengthening his momentum ahead of the highly anticipated qualifying session. The battle at the front remained incredibly tight, with the top four drivers separated by less than a quarter of a second. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri secured the second-fastest time, finishing 0.214 seconds behind Russell. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc split the two McLarens to claim third place, just fractions ahead of Lando Norris, who finished fourth after topping Friday’s second practice. The session took place in sweltering 32°C heat, causing rapid tyre degradation on the soft Pirelli compound, which mostly allowed only a single push lap. Teams were initially slow to leave the pit lane, focusing their later running heavily on qualifying simulations. It was a contrasting session for Russell's teammate and championship leader, Kimi Antonelli. The young Italian finished seventh, eight-tenths off the pace, after severe traffic ruined his final flying lap. Antonelli’s frustrations were compounded by a post-session investigation for erratic driving at Turn 2. Meanwhile, a brief red-flag period was triggered by Cadillac's Valtteri Bottas, who spun into the Turn 10 gravel following a sudden brake pedal failure. With Mercedes, McLaren, and Ferrari running neck-and-neck, FP3 set the stage for a wide-open and unpredictable qualifying battle in Barcelona. #F1 #f1memes #formula1 #georgerussell #fyp - @bolaf1_