A chaotic final practice session set the stage for a razor-thin fight between Mercedes, McLaren and Red Bull ahead of Qualifying.

George Russell topped the final practice session for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with a superb 1:23.334, edging Lando Norris by an incredible 0.004s after a tense, constantly evolving FP3 that kept the entire field on its toes.

The opening minutes were quiet as most drivers stayed in their garages, with Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll completing early tire prep runs. But once the session unfolded, McLaren fired first: Norris briefly went to the top before track evolution accelerated the times.

Max Verstappen responded halfway through with a solid lap that looked strong enough to hold P1—until a rapid Lance Stroll jumped ahead on softs. Haas also impressed again, with Ollie Bearman proving that his FP2 pace was no fluke.

Then came the drama: Lewis Hamilton spun at high speed in Turn 9 and slammed into the barrier, reporting that “something buckled at the front and snapped the rear.” His Ferrari was heavily damaged, forcing a pause that cost several drivers their earlier run plans.

Once the track reopened, Oscar Piastri launched from P18 to P1 on fresh softs. Norris answered with a blistering lap, but Russell delivered the ultimate response with a precise, committed final push that secured P1.

Behind the British, Alonso impressed with P4 at just +0.251s, while Piastri slotted into P5. Haas delivered another strong showing with Ocon and Bearman in P6 and P7. Leclerc, Antonelli and Albon completed the top ten in a tightly packed session where 0.388s covered the entire top half of the field.

There was more trouble in the pitlane: Kimi Antonelli was released directly into Tsunoda’s path, clipping the Red Bull and damaging his own front wing.

With just hours until Qualifying, the story is clear: Mercedes, McLaren and Red Bull are separated by mere thousandths, while Ferrari faces a race against time to rebuild Hamilton’s car.

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