Russell fastest as Antonelli left frustrated in Barcelona final practice

Barcelona-Catalunya GP: George Russell fastest from Oscar Piastri as Kimi Antonelli left frustrated with traffic in final practice George Russell is favourite for pole position at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix after he topped final practice while Kimi Antonelli was left frustrated; watch Qualifying later on Saturday live at 3pm on Sky Sports F1 and Main Event, with build-up from 2.15pm Saturday 13 June 2026 12:46, UK George Russell was fastest from Oscar Piastri as championship leader Kimi Antonelli was left frustrated with traffic after final practice at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix. Russell was two tenths faster than Piastri to establish himself as firm favourite for qualifying, which takes place later on Saturday at 3pm (build-up from 2.15pm), live on Sky Sports F1 and Main Event. The British driver has failed to score points in the last two grands prix, so is hoping to make inroads into his 68-point deficit to Antonelli, who hit out at traffic during final practice. - Barcelona-Catalunya GP: UK schedule and how to watch on Sky Sports - F1 2026 standings | F1 2026 Calendar | F1 Gossip Column - Download the Sky Sports app for expert analysis, best video & more📱 - Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW📺 Antonelli was twice forced to abort his flying lap towards the end of the session as other cars got in his way, leaving him seventh in the classification and slightly on the backfoot as he did not complete a full lap at qualifying speed. "Oh my god, mate. It's unbelievable! Why do I always get traffic?! I don't understand, everyone always in the lap," he said on the radio. It was in contrast to Russell, who had a beaming smile after getting out of the car, as Mercedes hit back following McLaren's strong Friday pace where Lando Norris was quickest in second practice. Charles Leclerc was 0.243s behind Russell in the upgraded Ferrari, while Norris was 0.246s off the pace - both teams losing time to Mercedes in the middle sector which features some long-radius corners. Sky Sports F1's Karun Chandhok said: "It's gone well for George so far this weekend. "Antonelli wasn't in FP1, but Russell looked comfortable and competitive from the first run, which wasn't the case in Miami, Canada or Monaco. This is a much more encouraging weekend for George." Lewis Hamilton's difficult weekend continued as he was seven tenths behind Russell in fifth, with Max Verstappen in sixth which confirmed Red Bull are not set to contend for the top positions. There was a scary moment for Valtteri Bottas after he suffered a brake failure and beached his Cadillac in the gravel, causing a red flag. More to follow... Sky Sports F1's Barcelona-Catalunya GP schedule Saturday June 13 1.10pm: F2 Sprint* 2.15pm: Barcelona-Catalunya GP Qualifying build-up* 3pm: BARCELONA-CATALUNYA GP QUALIFYING* 5pm: Ted's Qualifying Notebook Sunday June 14 7.35am: F3 Feature Race 9.05am: Porsche Supercup 10.20am: F2 Feature Race 12.30pm: Barcelona-Catalunya GP build-up: Grand Prix Sunday* 2pm: THE BARCELONA-CATALUNYA GRAND PRIX* 4pm: Barcelona-Catalunya GP reaction: Chequered Flag 5pm: Ted's Notebook *Also on Sky Sports Main Event Formula 1 is in Spain for the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix with live coverage on Sky Sports F1. Sunday's race starts at 2pm. Stream Sky Sports with NOW - no contract, cancel anytime [Image text:] EXPRESS A Microsoft CROWDSTRIKE SOLERA AMDi7 ETeamViewer PETRONAS Signify SyRONAm Microsoft