Lewis Hamilton crashed his Ferrari during the final practice session of the Formula 1 season in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, while Mercedes’ George Russell spoiled Lando Norris’ bid for a clean sweep of quickest times at Yas Marina.

Russell edged fellow Briton Norris by just 0.004 seconds, preventing McLaren’s championship leader — who dominated both Friday sessions — from topping the timesheets again. Norris remains the fastest of the title contenders heading into qualifying.

The 26-year-old holds a 12-point advantage over Red Bull’s four-time world champion Max Verstappen, with teammate Oscar Piastri another four points back. A top-three finish in Sunday’s race would seal the crown for Norris, though Mercedes’ pace could add late pressure to the title fight.

Verstappen finished FP3 in third place, 0.124s off Russell, while Piastri slotted into fifth behind Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso.

Hamilton brings out red flag after heavy hit

Seven-time champion Hamilton triggered a red-flag stoppage midway through the session when he spun at Turn 9 and slammed into the tyre barrier. The Briton, still seeking his first podium with Ferrari since switching from Mercedes in January, immediately suspected a mechanical issue.

“Something buckled at the front and snapped the rear,” he reported over the team radio.

Traffic troubles and pitlane chaos

There had already been drama before Hamilton’s crash. Norris was forced into evasive action to avoid a slow-moving Red Bull driven by Yuki Tsunoda, who was later involved in a pitlane collision.

Mercedes released rookie Kimi Antonelli directly into Tsunoda’s path, leaving both cars with damage and prompting a stewards’ investigation.

“You told me yes and Tsunoda was coming,” Antonelli exclaimed to his engineer after the incident.

Verstappen also had frustrations of his own, complaining over the radio that the car was “jumping” so much he could barely keep his feet on the pedals.