Catalonia: George Russell of Mercedes set the fastest time in the third free practice session for the Catalonia Grand Prix, part of the Formula One World Championship, with the main race due to take place on Sunday. Russell recorded the best time of the session, finishing 0.214 seconds ahead of McLaren's Oscar Piastri, in an indication of the strong competition expected during qualifying and the main race. According to Bahrain News Agency, Ferrari's Charles Leclerc finished third, followed by McLaren's Lando Norris in fourth, while Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen placed fifth and sixth respectively. Kimi Antonelli, the drivers' championship leader, finished seventh in a session that featured some challenges on the track, including a temporary red flag after Cadillac's Valtteri Bottas ran into the gravel following a brake problem. Russell had topped the first free practice session, while Norris set the fastest time in the second session held on Friday, further raising expectations of a close battle between Mercedes and McLaren during the remainder of the Spanish round.
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