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Hamilton, Bearman Crashes Highlight Dangers of New Madrid F1 Circuit

Posted : 12 September 2026

Lewis Hamilton and Oliver Bearman both crashed during final practice for the Spanish Grand Prix, highlighting the unforgiving nature of Madrid's new Madring circuit. The incidents interrupted the session twice and limited running ahead of qualifying.

Hamilton lost control of his Ferrari at the final corner and hit the barriers, damaging the front wing and puncturing the front-right tyre. The seven-time world champion initially attempted to drive the damaged car back to the pits despite Ferrari telling him to stop, but eventually pulled over and returned to the paddock on a scooter.

The crash resulted in a lengthy red flag while the barriers were repaired. Race officials temporarily stopped the session clock, allowing the drivers additional time to continue learning the demanding new circuit once the track was safe.

Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli ultimately set the fastest time, recording a 1:32.797 to finish 0.166 seconds ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc. McLaren's Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris were third and fourth respectively, followed by Max Verstappen and George Russell. Hamilton finished ninth despite setting his best lap before the crash.

Bearman then brought the session to another premature end when the Haas driver spun and hit the barriers at Turn 11 during the final minute. The accident further underlined the narrow margins for error at a circuit that combines high-speed sections with closely positioned barriers.

Russell had already described the Madring as particularly demanding, arguing that its higher speeds leave drivers with less room to recover from mistakes than at Monaco. The new track has also produced several incidents during support-category running, reinforcing concerns about its unforgiving layout.

With overtaking expected to be difficult, qualifying will be especially important in determining Sunday's starting positions. The drivers now face the challenge of finding the limit of the new circuit without repeating the costly mistakes seen in final practice.

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