Carlos Sainz thrilled the local fans by setting the fastest time for Ferrari in the final practice session ahead of qualifying at the Spanish Grand Prix. His lap of 1 minute 13.013 seconds edged out Lando Norris by just 0.03 seconds, with Charles Leclerc, Max Verstappen, and George Russell closely following suit for Mercedes.
The session was not without drama as Norris voiced frustration after Leclerc clipped his McLaren, prompting an investigation by race stewards. Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton faced scrutiny for an incident involving Lance Stroll, resulting in Stroll receiving a reprimand for his actions on track.
With the top four drivers separated by less than a tenth of a second, anticipation mounted for a closely contested battle for pole position in the upcoming qualifying session. Norris, initially in a strong position, saw his session interrupted by Leclerc's maneuver, which led to a brief investigation before the stewards issued a reprimand rather than a penalty.
Away from the on-track action, McLaren dealt with a fire scare in their hospitality unit, necessitating a temporary evacuation. Despite this disruption, teams continued to fine-tune their setups in preparation for qualifying, with drivers like Verstappen aiming to extend their dominance at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, where he has secured victories in previous seasons.
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