Sainz tops tight and tense final Spanish practice

The Spaniard clocked one min 13.013sec to set the fastest lap ahead of Leclerc and Verstappen

BARCELONA:

Home hope Carlos Sainz topped the times for Ferrari in a tight and tense final practice ahead of Spanish Grand Prix qualifying on Saturday.

Sainz led Lando Norris, who as the one-hour session came to an end, was inexplicably clipped by Charles Leclerc in the other Ferrari triggering an investigation by race stewards.

Sainz set a fastest lap of 1min 13.013sec to best Norris by 0.03sec, Leclerc, Max Verstappen's Red Bull and George Russell for Mercedes.

Russell's teammate Lewis Hamilton, who had topped Friday's practice, also had a date with the stewards after an incident involving the Aston Martin of Lance Stroll who appeared to deliberately drive into the seven time champion.

The top four were split by less than a tenth of a second opening up the possibility of a thrilling four-team fight for pole for this 10th round of the season later.

Norris was sitting pretty in second as the session drew to a close when Leclerc surged past him, the man from Monaco then clipping the McLaren despite acres of track room.

"He just drove into me, I think I've got damage," Norris told his team.

Hamilton was first out on the sun-drenched circuit in Catalonia, and the Mercedes driver had the track to himself for the first five minutes, until Verstappen emerged from the garage to keep him company.

After an encouraging Friday when Hamilton topped practice he posted a 1:14.178. The session was 10 minutes old before the two Ferraris emerged out into the circuit.

As Hamilton pitted and Stroll told his team "Can you get me a knee pad prepared for the next run? I have some knee pain."

Russell went fastest from Sainz, at his last home race weekend for Ferrari, and Leclerc.