George Russell seized pole position for a race that could snap championship-leading teammate Kimi Antonelli's winning streak while Lewis Hamilton split the Mercedes pair in Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix qualifying on Saturday.
Italian Antonelli, who will be seeking a sixth win in a row on Sunday to extend what is currently a 66-point lead over seven-times world champion Hamilton, qualified third with McLaren's world champion Lando Norris fourth.
Mercedes have taken pole in all seven F1 races so far in 2026, winning them all, and Saturday was Russell's third of the season to 19-year-old Antonelli's four -- a morale boost for the Briton as he seeks to bounce back from two races without scoring.
"Nice to feel in the groove again," said Russell over the team radio after lapping 0.064 of a second quicker than compatriot Hamilton for a 10th career pole ahead of what will be his 100th grand prix for Mercedes.
Follow the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix with The Independent.
Read MoreF1 standings after Pierre Gasly’s Monaco GP podium reinstated following Alpine appeal
Monaco Grand Prix result changes – five days after F1 race ended
Fernando Alonso drops major hint over his F1 future ahead of Spanish Grand Prix
F1 BARCELONA-CATALUNYA GP - LATEST UPDATES
- The Barcelona-Catalunya GP starts at 2pm BST on Sunday
- George Russell on pole in Barcelona; Hamilton 2nd; Antonelli 3rd
- Click HERE for the full starting grid
- ‘I left the track’: Lewis Hamilton reveals radical preparation for best-ever Ferrari F1 qualifying
- Kimi Antonelli has a 66-point lead after six races
What time is the race on Sunday?
Saturday 13 June 2026 16:28 , Kieran JacksonThe Barcelona-Catalunya GP starts at 2pm BST.
George Russell is on pole with Lewis Hamilton alongside him. Box-office.
Kimi Antonelli after finishing third:
13:09 , Kieran Jackson“It’s been a little bit of a difficult weekend so far, didn’t have the feeling with the car. Long run was strong yesterday; today I’ve been lacking a little bit – looking forward to tomorrow.
“We’ll try to get a good start and make the best use of the tow; the slipstream will be strong, a lot of work to do.”
It’s the first time this season that Antonelli will not start a grand prix on the front-row.
Constructor standings ahead of Barcelona
12:58 , Kieran Jackson1. Mercedes - 244 points
2. Ferrari - 165 points
3. McLaren - 116 points
4. Red Bull - 69 points
5. Alpine - 50 points
6. Racing Bulls - 35 points
7. Haas - 21 points
8. Williams - 11 points
9. Audi - 2 points
10. Cadillac - 1 point
11. Aston Martin - 0 points
Lando Norris after qualifying P4:
12:48 , Kieran Jackson“We showed some progress today and I'm reasonably happy with P4. The Red Flag in the final corner on my first push lap was unlucky and probably cost us a shot at P3, but P4 is still a strong place to start. Compared to Monaco, we’re back closer to where we should be, and the pace felt better overall. With that said, the gap to Pole, around three and a half tenth, is still significant, and the car wasn’t easy to drive with the wind and heat making it inconsistent, especially at the rear.
"Looking at the race, it’s going to be a hot, high-degradation race and tyre management will be everything. Strategy could go one, two, or even three stops depending on how the tyres behave, and I think most teams will end up doing similar things. There’s definitely an opportunity off the start, with smart calls, to move forward, but sustaining that against Ferrari and Mercedes over 66 laps will be tough.
“We’ll fight for every chance, maximise track position and try to force errors, but we’re realistic, if we’re three tenths off per lap today, we need to be perfect to stay in the mix tomorrow. Overall, happy with the step we’ve made, not happy enough with the gap. We’ll keep pushing."
Fernando Alonso after qualifying last at his home event:
12:40 , Kieran Jackson“There are no surprises that we qualified at the back as we know this is our level of car performance right now. We had downshifting issues and it was very difficult to drive the car in each Qualifying lap.
“It’s always special to drive in front of the Spanish fans though and thanks to them for their amazing support over the weekend.”
Full starting grid:
12:30 , Kieran Jackson1. George Russell (Mercedes)
2. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)
3. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
4. Lando Norris (McLaren)
5. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
6. Isack Hadjar (Red Bull)
7. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
8. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls)
9. Nico Hulkenberg (Audi)
10. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
11. Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls)
12. Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi)
13. Franco Colapinto (Alpine)
14. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
15. Ollie Bearman (Haas)
16. Carlos Sainz (Williams)
17. Esteban Ocon (Haas)
18. Alex Albon (Williams)
19. Sergio Perez (Cadillac)
20. Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac)
21. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
22. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
‘I left the track’: Lewis Hamilton reveals radical preparation for best-ever Ferrari F1 qualifying
12:20 , Kieran JacksonLewis Hamilton revealed he left the circuit ahead of his best-ever qualifying for Ferrari at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix on Saturday.
The 41-year-old, who has finished second on the podium in the last two rounds in Canada and Monaco, was within a tenth of a second of pole position in Barcelona.
Mercedes’ George Russell, Hamilton’s former teammate, pipped the seven-time world champion to top spot with F1 world championship leader Kimi Antonelli in third place – the first time this season the Italian won’t start a grand prix on the front row.
Yet in his post-session interview, Hamilton divulged that he went back to his off-site motorhome in between final practice and qualifying, setting him up for a first-ever front row start in Ferrari red.
Full quotes below:
‘I left the track’: Hamilton reveals radical preparation for Barcelona qualifying
George Russell secures much-needed F1 pole in Barcelona with Lewis Hamilton impressive in qualifying
12:11 , Kieran JacksonGeorge Russell seized pole position for a race that could snap teammate Kimi Antonelli's winning streak while Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton split the Mercedes pair in Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix qualifying on Saturday.
Italian Antonelli, who will be seeking his sixth win in a row on Sunday to extend what is currently a 66-point lead over seven-times world champion Hamilton, qualified third with McLaren's world champion Lando Norris fourth.
Mercedes have taken pole for all seven F1 races so far in 2026, and Saturday was Russell's third of the season to 19-year-old Antonelli's four, in a morale boost for the Briton as he seeks to bounce back from two races without scoring.
Full report below:
Russell secures much-needed pole in Barcelona with Hamilton impressive in qualifying
Toto Wolff after a P1 and P3 for Mercedes in qualifying
11:36 , Kieran Jackson“George has been the quickest driver all weekend. Ahead of the session, if you had asked me for a favourite for pole it would have been him. He's been on it all weekend, has reset and refocused after his recent bad luck and put together an accomplished performance so far this weekend. He will need to carry that on into the race tomorrow if he wants to fight for victory but he's in a good place this weekend and reminding everyone just how good he is.
“On Kimi's side, missing FP1 took some track time away from him but P3 is still a solid result. It is easy to forget he is only in his second year and has an incredibly fast team-mate alongside him. His long run pace in FP2 was competitive so I am sure he will be looking forward to tomorrow.
“It will be a long race with high tyre degradation. Whilst we want to be leading the way into turn one, we know the Grand Prix can't be won there but can be lost. We will need to look after the tyres well, hopefully have good pace, and see what we are racing for come the closing stages.”
Charles Leclerc after qualifying crash:
11:15 , Kieran Jackson“I tried to carry some more speed into Turn 4, but then I went onto the dirty side of the track and lost the rear. There’s not much more to say, it was a driving error. I think we can do well tomorrow.
“The upgrade was a good step forward and I will push to make up as many positions as possible and bring home a positive result for the team.”
Fernando Alonso drops major hint over his F1 future
11:00 , Kieran JacksonTwo-time Formula 1 champion Fernando Alonso has indicated that Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix is likely to be his final race in Barcelona, as the event is set to become biennial from 2027.
The Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix will not be staged again until 2028, leading the 44-year-old to tell reporters on Thursday: "It is probably going to be my last Barcelona race in Formula 1."
While Alonso was quick to clarify he was not announcing his immediate retirement, the extended break until the next Barcelona event makes his involvement highly improbable.
He revealed plans to consider his future in the coming months, weighing up whether to continue racing next season, especially given Aston Martin’s struggles to provide a competitive car.
Full story below:
Fernando Alonso drops major hint over his F1 future ahead of Spanish Grand Prix
Christian Horner suffers F1 return delay as Renault Group says ‘no discussions’
10:30 , Kieran JacksonChristian Horner has suffered a dent in his Formula One comeback bid after the boss of the Renault Group which controls Alpine said there are currently “no discussions” with the former Red Bull team principal.
Horner is exploring a way back to the paddock after he was sacked by Red Bull following last July’s British Grand Prix.
Alpine confirmed earlier this year that Horner, 52, was among a group of investors interested in acquiring Otro Capital’s 24 per cent shareholding in the Enstone team. Renault Group owns the other 76 per cent in Alpine.
More detail below:
Christian Horner suffers F1 return delay as Renault Group says ‘no discussions’
Carlos Sainz after qualifying P16:
10:00 , Kieran Jackson"We maximised everything we had today and reached our target of getting into Q2, which is an honest reflection of where we are at this track. We used all our new tyres in Q1 which left us with not much more to extract in Q2, so improving P16 was not possible.
"We’ll be going into tomorrow with a fresh mindset as we know anything can happen here. On pure pace, points aren’t on the table, but this track is hard on everyone’s machinery and strategy can make a big difference. We'll be ready to take any opportunity that comes.
“It's been a tricky weekend so far, but feeling the support of the Spanish fans has been incredible. I'll give them everything I have tomorrow."
Monaco Grand Prix result changes – five days after F1 race ended
09:00 , Kieran JacksonPierre Gasly has had his third-place finish at the Monaco Grand Prix reinstated after a successful appeal from his Alpine F1 team.
Gasly finished third at the chequered flag before he was punished by two five-second time penalties – due to speeding in the pit lane – and dropped to seventh.
Full news below:
Monaco Grand Prix result changes – five days after F1 race ended
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella:
08:00 , Kieran Jackson"We are back in a situation where four teams are incredibly close to one another, which is great news and a positive step forward for us after Monaco. Today was a bit of a missed opportunity, primarily because Lando was incredibly unlucky with the Red Flag. He was on a very strong first lap just 250 meters from the finish line, which forced him to be cautious on his final attempt to ensure we got a time on the board. For Oscar, the margins were razor-thin, just a tenth of a second separated P3 from P7 today.
"Looking ahead to the race, we are optimistic. The Grand Prix will be heavily dictated by strategy, race pace, and tyre management. While we know we still have work to do from a technical standpoint to fully optimise our tyre exploitation over a race distance, our qualifying and race pace are closely matched this year. We are definitely in the game and looking forward to an exciting fight down into Turn 1."
George Russell vows to bounce back from latest setback in drivers’ championship
05:00 , Kieran Jackson“If it was just… if there was no luck either way, I would have been on the podium in Japan, either P1 or P2, I think I would have won in Canada and I probably would have finished third in Monaco,” Russell said.
“For sure I don’t think I’d be ahead of Kimi in the standings but we’d be right there and then it’s a different story.
“I’ve definitely not given up on the championship. It’s just something I’m not thinking about.
“I’m just really going race by race. Until it’s over, you’re still in the fight because in this sport it does change very quick and it doesn’t take a lot to swing.”
What is the starting grid?
03:00 , Kieran Jackson1. George Russell (Mercedes)
2. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)
3. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
4. Lando Norris (McLaren)
5. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
6. Isack Hadjar (Red Bull)
7. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
8. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls)
9. Nico Hulkenberg (Audi)
10. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
11. Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls)
12. Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi)
13. Franco Colapinto (Alpine)
14. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
15. Ollie Bearman (Haas)
16. Carlos Sainz (Williams)
17. Esteban Ocon (Haas)
18. Alex Albon (Williams)
19. Sergio Perez (Cadillac)
20. Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac)
21. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
22. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
Pierre Gasly after qualifying P13:
Saturday 13 June 2026 23:59 , Kieran Jackson“It's been a difficult day and we seem to be struggling at this track for some reason. I'm sure there was a bit more in it today, but Q3 was definitely too far out of reach for us. We are trying to understand a few things as I've not been comfortable in the car all weekend. I can't attack on braking and I'm struggling to have any confidence, with the car moving around quite a lot.
“We tried a few things overnight, including a chassis change, and we're still not finding the answers we want, so there is definitely a lot more work ahead of us. We are likely to see quite high tyre degradation tomorrow, so it will probably be a tough race for everyone. We'll see what we can do and try to recover some positions.”
Oscar Piastri after qualifying 7th:
Saturday 13 June 2026 23:00 , Kieran Jackson"It was incredibly tight today, with such a small gap from third down to us in P7. We lost more than expected in the final sector, so we need to review why because the lap up to then felt good. Right now, Mercedes looks strong, and Ferrari have taken a step with their upgrades - their corner speeds have been impressive all season, even if they’re still paying a price on the straights.
"Tomorrow will likely be a long, hot two-stop race, maybe more, and the key will be managing degradation and maintaining pace across the stints. While Mercedes and Ferrari were quicker today than yesterday, strategy and tyre offsets could open up opportunities, and we feel more in the fight than last week.
“If the race plays out like we’ve seen here in recent years, with multiple stops and differing tyre life, there’s definitely a chance to gain a few positions."
Cadillac drivers after their Q1 exit:
Saturday 13 June 2026 21:00 , Kieran JacksonDebriefing the day 🫡 pic.twitter.com/itH2QzW87I
— Cadillac Formula 1 Team (@Cadillac_F1) June 13, 2026
George Russell after claiming pole:
Saturday 13 June 2026 17:10 , Kieran Jackson“It’s been a great weekend so far, feel like my old self again. The last few races having been on our side, but clean slate this weekend, felt good and great to be on pole.
“It’s going to be an interesting race tomorrow, Lewis did an amazing job to get up there. We thought the fight was with us and McLaren. We’ll have a fight on our hands.”
Lewis Hamilton after qualifying P2:
Saturday 13 June 2026 16:57 , Kieran Jackson”It feels great to be up there with them. These tyres only last one lap… I left the track between p3 and qualifying, I went back to my motorhome, came back and then was first.
“These guys did a great lap, congrats to George, but we’re in a good position to fight for tomorrow.
“All weekend we’ve been four-tenths off these guys – for us to be a tenth off, shows the hard work that’s been done. Big thank you to everyone back to Maranello, hopefully we can keep up with these guys tomorrow for once.”
Top-10 in Barcelona-Catalunya GP qualifying:
Saturday 13 June 2026 16:27 , Kieran Jackson1. George Russell (Mercedes)
2. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)
3. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
4. Lando Norris (McLaren)
5. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
6. Isack Hadjar (Red Bull)
7. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
8. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls)
9. Nico Hulkenberg (Audi)
10. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
George Russell, team radio:
Saturday 13 June 2026 16:18 , Kieran JacksonWolff: “George, how does it feel?”
Russell: “Nice to feel the groove again.”
George Russell on pole position
Saturday 13 June 2026 16:13 , Kieran JacksonThe Briton goes even quicker - and he needed to after Antonelli briefly had provisional pole - and he has pole by 0.064 secs to Lewis Hamilton, who claims a terrific second late on!
Antonelli takes third, with Norris in fourth and Verstappen fifth.
6-10: Hadjar, Piastri, Lawson, Hulkenberg, Leclerc
George Russell quickest out of early runners
Saturday 13 June 2026 16:08 , Kieran JacksonNot quite provisional pole, with only six times set, but Russell top of all of them so far.
He’s 0.031 secs ahead of Piastri in second, followed by Verstappen, Antonelli, Hadjar and Hamilton.
Lewis will want better than that...
4:00 to go in Q3...
VIDEO: Leclerc's crash
Saturday 13 June 2026 16:06 , Kieran JacksonThat's a pretty big hit 💥
— Formula 1 (@F1) June 13, 2026
Here's the moment Leclerc's qualifying came to an end 🎥#F1 #BarcelonaGP pic.twitter.com/XmX5kp76mw
Q3 resumes
Saturday 13 June 2026 16:05 , Kieran Jackson8:30 left. Should be time for two laps, still.
Nine remain.
Leclerc's car being moved
Saturday 13 June 2026 15:56 , Kieran JacksonThe crane is out to move Leclerc’s car.
The man himself has been taken away in the medical car.
A real shock: Leclerc has actually been quicker than Hamilton!
He just lost the car coming out of turn 4...
Charles Leclerc is out
Saturday 13 June 2026 15:53 , Kieran JacksonRED FLAG!
Leclerc has crashed into the wall at turn 5! His Ferrari car slammed into the wll!
He looks fine, emerging from the car, but with the crash being over 25G, the medical car has been deployed.
Q3 stopped with 8:30 to go.
Q3 underway
Saturday 13 June 2026 15:48 , Kieran JacksonRight then, here we go!
10 drivers involved: Russell, Antonelli, Norris, Piastri, Hamilton, Leclerc, Verstappen, Hadjar, Lawson, Hulkenberg
Who will be at the front of the grid for tomorrow’s race?
P11-16
Saturday 13 June 2026 15:43 , Kieran Jackson11. Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls)
12. Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi)
13. Franco Colapinto (Alpine)
14. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
15. Ollie Bearman (Haas)
16. Carlos Sainz (Williams)
Gasly out
Saturday 13 June 2026 15:42 , Kieran JacksonA frustrating session for Alpine - who don’t make it - but Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg is through in P10!
Arvid Lindblad just misses out.
Bottom-six and out in Q2 (11-16): Lindblad, Bortoleto, Colapinto, Gasly, Bearman, Sainz
Top-3: Russell, Leclerc, Antonelli
Time for the top-10 shootout now!
George Russell quickest
Saturday 13 June 2026 15:34 , Kieran JacksonEarly statement in Q2 from Russell, ahead of Leclerc by 0.052 secs.
Down at the bottom, no real surprises.
Current bottom-six (11-16): Bortoleto, Colaptino, Bearman, Gasly, Sainz, Hulkenberg
6:00 to go in Q2...
Q2 underway
Saturday 13 June 2026 15:28 , Kieran JacksonA dearth of activity in the early minutes as we get going with Q2.
15 minutes - who will make the top-10 shootout in Barcelona?
Positions 17-22:
Saturday 13 June 2026 15:27 , Kieran Jackson17. Esteban Ocon (Haas)
18. Alex Albon (Williams)
19. Sergio Perez (Cadillac)
20. Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac)
21. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
22. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
Fernando Alonso out
Saturday 13 June 2026 15:26 , Kieran JacksonNot just out and bottom - but slower than Lance Stroll for the first time in 43 qualifying sessions!
Desperate for the Spaniard, in what he has confirmed to be his last appearance in Barcelona.
Bottom-six (17-22) and out in Q1: Ocon, Albon, Perez, Bottas, Stroll, Alonso
Top-3: Hamilton, Russell, Leclerc
Esteban Ocon in bottom-six for now
Saturday 13 June 2026 15:13 , Kieran JacksonOcon in P19 has work to do. Other than that, the bottom six is largely as expected.
Current bottom-six (17-22): Perez, Ocon, Bottas, Albon, Alonso, Stroll. Carlos Sainz is the man just outside the drop-zone.
Top-3: Hamilton, Russell, Leclerc
5:00 to go in Q1.
Carlos Sainz quickest out of early runners
Saturday 13 June 2026 15:07 , Kieran JacksonPretty routine running so far, with Sainz the quickest out of seven drivers to set times.
This track, of course, is one they all know so well given that testing used to take place here.
A reminder: we won’t see this circuit next year as it switches to a biennial rotation with Spa.
12:00 to go in Q1.
Q1 underway
Saturday 13 June 2026 15:02 , Kieran JacksonBig queue at the end of the pit-lane as we get underway with Q1.
18 minutes of action where we’ll lose the slowest six cars from the rest of qualifying.
Can Cadillac and Aston Martin, somehow, find a way through?
Weather in Barcelona
Saturday 13 June 2026 14:58 , Kieran JacksonHot, pretty hot.
Temperatures around 28C - and it’s in the 40s at track level.
How the drivers can nurse their tyres will be critical in this qualifying session...
Qualifying in Barcelona
Saturday 13 June 2026 14:50 , Kieran JacksonIt’s a big hour for George Russell, me thinks.
It’s early in the season but the wave of momentum is completely in Kimi Antonelli’s favour. Can his Mercedes teammate bounce back?
McLaren look Mercedes’s closest rival this weekend, but Ferrari are not far behind either.
As for Red Bull, they’ve been on the back foot it’d be foolish to doubt Max Verstappen.
Qualifying coming up in 10 minutes!
McLaren's Lando Norris:
Saturday 13 June 2026 14:40 , Kieran Jackson"We're up there with the people we want to be with," he said after topping FP2 on Friday.
"It's hot and I don't think anyone's going to be that happy.
"It's difficult with the wind and with the conditions but it seems to be working better than the last few weeks, which is a good sign."
VIDEO: Gasly after Monaco podium reinstated
Saturday 13 June 2026 14:28 , Kieran Jackson"I'm very proud of the FIA for the transparency" 🗣️
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) June 12, 2026
Pierre Gasly shares his thoughts after his penalty from the Monaco GP was withdrawn. pic.twitter.com/8I8l3PXmZe
Kimi Antonelli on a tricky practice
Saturday 13 June 2026 14:00 , Kieran Jackson"The tyres are overheating quite a lot," said Antonelli on Friday.
"Just trying to find the best balance. With only one lap, it is always difficult, but overall there is still quite a bit of work to do," he said.
"But I am quite confident ahead of [Saturday]. Long run was good but looking forward to tomorrow and the changes we're going to make."
Constructor standings ahead of Barcelona
Saturday 13 June 2026 13:30 , Kieran Jackson1. Mercedes - 244 points
2. Ferrari - 165 points
3. McLaren - 116 points
4. Red Bull - 69 points
5. Alpine - 50 points
6. Racing Bulls - 35 points
7. Haas - 21 points
8. Williams - 11 points
9. Audi - 2 points
10. Cadillac - 1 point
11. Aston Martin - 0 points
VIDEO: Did you spot this?
Saturday 13 June 2026 13:10 , Kieran JacksonLeclerc with... Hamilton’s number on his shirt:
CL... 44?! 🧐#F1 #BarcelonaGP pic.twitter.com/ej5hkjpVhT
— Formula 1 (@F1) June 11, 2026
Max Verstappen on Red Bull's lack of competitiveness:
Saturday 13 June 2026 13:01 , Kieran Jackson"For sure not," he said, when asked if he could be fighting at the front. "We lose in the high speed, low speed and medium speed, the whole day lacking grip, feeling with the car, the balance. Nothing felt nice.
"There is no grip, the cars are drifting around, tyres not giving any kind of grip. We struggled a little more than the top guys but I think no one had a good balance."
Top-10 in FP3
Saturday 13 June 2026 12:50 , Kieran Jackson1. George Russell (Mercedes) - 1:15.679
2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) +0.214
3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +0.243
4. Lando Norris (McLaren) +0.246
5. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) +0.702
6. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +0.755
7. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) +0.821
8. Isack Hadjar (Red Bull) +1.005
9. Nico Hulkenberg (Audi) +1.282
10. Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls) +1.341
Qualifying start time:
Saturday 13 June 2026 12:40 , Kieran JacksonQualifying at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is at 3pm BST.
It feels like a really big one for George Russell, if he’s to turn his season around.
And what about Lewis Hamilton? Can he claim a first grand prix pole for Ferrari?
George Russell fastest in FP3
Saturday 13 June 2026 12:34 , Kieran JacksonA much-needed session of positivity for George Russell, who goes fastest in the third and final practice session.
Two-tenths behind is Oscar Piastri, then Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris.
5-10: Hamilton, Verstappen, Antonelli, Hadjar, Hulkenberg, Lindblad.
Now onto qualifying!
Kimi Antonelli angry
Saturday 13 June 2026 12:27 , Kieran JacksonAntonelli has been blocked by Stroll and a Haas car on a timed lap - and he’s not happy about it.
Antonelli: “Unbelievable mate.”
Bonnington: “I don’t tell those cars to leave the pit-lane, mate.”
Perhaps an underlying tone to ‘relax’ from his race engineer.
George Russell fastest with 10 to go
Saturday 13 June 2026 12:25 , Kieran JacksonRussell, with a 1:15:679, is fastest by two-tenths to Piastri and Norris.
4-10: Hamilton, Verstappen, Antonelli, Leclerc, Hulkenberg, Lindblad, Bortoleto
Lando Norris quickest after 30 mins
Saturday 13 June 2026 11:59 , Kieran JacksonMuch like yesterday, Norris is on form early on - going fastest by 0.076 secs to Charles Leclerc in second.
Oscar Piastri is third, six-tenths off his teammate, with Lindblad in fourth and Hulkenberg in fifth.
More of the frontrunners setting their first competitive laps in FP3 now...
Cheers for Alonso
Saturday 13 June 2026 11:52 , Kieran JacksonFernando Alonso makes his way onto the circuit and receives a chorus of cheers from the Spaniard’s fans in the grandstands.
Alonso said it would be a “miracle” if Aston Martin made it out of Q1 - let’s see how he rolls this morning.
Perez goes wide
Saturday 13 June 2026 11:43 , Kieran JacksonThe Cadillac driver, the first man out on track, goes wide and flicks up some gravel as he begins his run on Saturday.
Only a handful of drivers out on track in the opening 10 minutes...
FP3 underway
Saturday 13 June 2026 11:31 , Kieran JacksonAmid scorching hot conditions in Barcelona, we’re underway with the third and final practice.
A critical final hour for the drivers to get accustomed to the conditions ahead of a key qualifying session later this afternoon.
Who will put down the final marker?
A reminder of the top-10 in the driver standings heading into qualifying:
Saturday 13 June 2026 11:24 , Kieran Jackson1. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) - 156 points
2. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) - 90 points
3. George Russell (Mercedes) - 88 points
4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) - 75 points
5. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) - 58 points
6. Lando Norris (McLaren) - 58 points
7. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) - 43 points
8. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) - 35 points
9. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) - 26 points
10. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) - 24 points
Start times in Barcelona:
Saturday 13 June 2026 11:23 , Kieran JacksonAll times BST
Saturday 13 June
- Free practice 3: 11:30am
- Qualifying: 3pm
Sunday 14 June
- Race: 2pm
F1 Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix
Saturday 13 June 2026 11:20 , Kieran JacksonFormula 1 heads to Barcelona for the renamed Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix this weekend and round seven of the 2026 F1 season.
Life could not be better for Kimi Antonelli right now. In Monaco, he claimed his fifth consecutive victory with a dominant lights-to-flag performance after claiming a stunning pole position. His lead in the world championship is now 66 points.
Lewis Hamilton is now Antonelli’s closest contender after finishing second in Monte-Carlo, a fortnight after finishing second in Canada. The 41-year-old is showing his best form in Ferrari colours, but is still chasing that elusive first grand prix win.
As for George Russell, it was another frustrating weekend as he finished outside of the points after a late drive-through penalty. It was in Barcelona last year that he tangled with Max Verstappen - what will happen this time around?
