F1 LIVE | Hamilton leads Russell and Leclerc in Q1 - follow Barcelona GP Qualifying here!

George Russell set the pace in Barcelona ahead of qualifying at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix. The British Mercedes driver was the quickest during the final free practice session, and finished ahead of second-placed Oscar Piastri by more than two tenths.

Meanwhile, the current F1 championship leader, Kimi Antonelli, could not set a competitive lap time after encountering traffic on his final flying laps and, as a result, finished seventh. Moreover, he was under investigation by the stewards for driving erratically after holding up Lance Stroll into Turn 2. He was handed a reprimand. According to 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve, the Barcelona circuit simply suits the British driver better as well. Charles Leclerc is also investigated for allegedly impeding Nico Hulkenberg in Turn 5 earlier today.

Leclerc completed the Top 3 in FP3, while the two British world champions on the grid, Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton, finished fourth and fifth respectively. Red Bull Racing was also well off Mercedes in FP3. Max Verstappen finished sixth, with a lap seven and a half tenths slower than Russell’s.

In the aftermath of the second free practice session at the Barcelona Grand Prix, the McLaren outfit confirmed it had breached the parc fermé curfew following the session. The Woking-based outfit, which has enjoyed a much stronger start to the weekend than it managed in Monaco, opted to replace permissible key components on both Norris' and Piastri's cars. According to the team, the changes were made to improve the robustness of the installation and integration of the power units on both MCL40s.