Leclerc on top for Ferrari in final British practice
The Monaco-born driver lapped the Silverstone circuit on an overcast, gusty and much cooler afternoon than Friday with a best time of one minute 25.498 seconds.
McLaren's Formula One championship leader Oscar Piastri was second quickest, 0.068 seconds slower, with Red Bull's Max Verstappen third.
The session was twice red flagged, once when Oliver Bearman's Haas shed some bodywork and in the final seconds when Gabriel Bortoleto spun on a kerb and bounced across the grass with the car's front left suspension smashed.
The final stoppage put paid to anyone trying to improve on Leclerc's time, including Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton who ended up only 11th.
Hamilton had been quicker than Leclerc in the first two sectors before aborting the final one after the red flags were waved as a result of Bearman's debris on track.
McLaren's Lando Norris, 15 points adrift of Piastri after 11 of 24 rounds, was fourth fastest with Red Bull's Yuki Tsunoda fifth.
Bearman, who ended up sixth, crashed in a bizarre accident at the end while entering the pitlane - smashing the nose and front wing when he hit the barriers and blaming cold brakes.
Alex Albon was seventh for Williams, ahead of Mercedes' George Russell, Racing Bulls' Isack Hadjar and teammate Liam Lawson completing the top 10.
Aston Martin said neither of their drivers had managed to do a representative lap on the fastest soft tyre due to the red flags.
Qualifying for Sunday's race, Hamilton's first at home in Ferrari colours, follows later in the afternoon.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNA
an hour ago
- CNA
Arsenal sign Spain midfielder Zubimendi from Real Sociedad
Arsenal have signed defensive midfielder Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad on a long-term contract, the Premier League club said on Sunday as the club reinforced a key position weakened by departures last month. Financial details were not disclosed but British media reports said the 26-year-old had a 60 million euros ($70.67 million) release clause at Sociedad where he had a contract until 2027. Zubimendi is Arsenal's second recruit in the close-season after goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga as Mikel Arteta looks to strengthen a squad that can get over the line in the title race after finishing runners-up in the last three Premier League seasons. "This is a huge moment in my career. It's the move I was looking for and one I wanted to make. As soon as you set foot here, you realise how big this club and this team are," Zubimendi said in a statement. "I set my sights on Arsenal because their style of play is a good fit for me. They have shown their potential recently and the best is yet to come." Zubimendi's arrival is a welcome reinforcement for Arsenal in midfield after Jorginho and Thomas Partey left at the end of their contracts last month. Renowned for his mobility, his deep-lying playmaking skills as well as his defensive nous, Zubimendi will give Arsenal's midfield a measure of steel while also controlling the tempo in the role of a number six. His arrival would potentially allow Declan Rice, Arsenal's player of the season, to play in an advanced role alongside skipper Martin Odegaard. With Spain, Zubimendi won the European Championship in 2024, coming on for the injured Rodri in the final to help secure the trophy, while he also scored in the Nations League final earlier this month when they lost to Portugal on penalties. Getting Zubimendi on board early would also give Arteta time to work with him in pre-season ahead of a tough opening spell in the Premier League next season. Arsenal play Manchester United, Liverpool, Manchester City and Newcastle United in their first six games of the campaign.
CNA
2 hours ago
- CNA
Rain delays play on day five with India needing seven wickets to beat England
BIRMINGHAM, England :Play on the final day of the second test between England and India was delayed on Sunday due to rain at Edgbaston, with the hosts 72-3 chasing a mammoth target of 608 runs to win. Players scrambled for cover during their warm-up routines and the covers came on before the rain eased, allowing ground staff to dry the surface before play could get underway. Ollie Pope (24) and Harry Brook (15) were at the crease at stumps on day four, with England still needing 536 runs to complete by far the largest successful run chase in test history. India had declared on 427-6 after Shubman Gill scored another hundred (161) while KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja hit half-centuries.
Straits Times
13 hours ago
- Straits Times
England captain Williamson blames England's poor defending on emotions
ZURICH - England captain Leah Williamson blamed emotions for her team's uncharacteristic performance in their 2-1 loss to France in their opening game of Women's Euro 2025 on Saturday, saying they failed to leave them in the dressing room before kickoff. Marie-Antoinette Katoto and Sandy Baltimore struck in the first half for France to leave England's travelling fans in stunned silence and while Keira Walsh pulled one back in the 87th minute and the Lionesses had some near-misses towards the close, it was too little too late for the reigning champions. "I'm disappointed there was some cheap sort of emotional defending in the first half, when you take waves of attack like that you leave yourself open to those sorts of things," Williamson said of their poor one-on-one defending. "I'm just frustrated because I think the football that we played near the end, and the game plan, could've worked. We just didn't execute it exceptionally well. "We spoke (at halftime) as players, we take responsibility individually and as a team. We have a calm environment at the minute but there was an injection of get the emotion out, leave it in the changing room, and go out and just be pragmatic about it and try and insert a bit of 'umph' into the game." The loss was manager Sarina Wiegman's first in a European Championship after leading both the Netherlands (2017) and England (2022) to titles. "Of course we're frustrated, we had three very good weeks and we trained really well but that's never a guarantee that you'll win the game," Wiegman said. "And you also know that France is a proper team too, so you have to do things really well. We just didn't get it right at those moments." Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore TTSH to demolish century-old pavilion wards, keeping one as heritage marker World Iran's Khamenei makes first public appearance since war with Israel World Elon Musk says he has created a new US political party Asia Poor sex education, policy gaps and stigma fuel HIV surge among young Filipinos Singapore Don't view your first property as a dream home, get a foothold in the market instead: PropNex's Ismail Gafoor Singapore How soya sauce could help treat cancer Tech Graduates are not screwed if they study engineering: James Dyson in response to Economist article Business When a foreign wife failed to turn up for a $10m divorce The first goal of the night almost went to England but Alessia Russo's strike was chalked off after VAR ruled that Beth Mead had been offside in the buildup. Wiegman also believed Russo was fouled on France's second goal but a VAR review said otherwise. "I'm not the referee but I'm upset," she said. England have been slow off the start in previous major tournaments, edging Austria 1-0 to kick off Euro 2022 and Haiti 1-0 at the 2023 World Cup en route to their first final appearance. "I can't really compare all the first games in tournaments," Wiegman said. "I think playing against France is just totally different than every other start of a tournament because I think they're a world-class team, and I think we're a very good team too." England now face a mammoth task on Wednesday against the Netherlands, 3-0 winners over Wales in Saturday's other Group D game. REUTERS
