Top five covered by 0.089 in final practice

Ahead of today’s sole practice session the air temperature is 31 degrees C, while the track temperature is 43 degrees C. Humidity is 59%.

As was the case in FP1, due to the conditions this session is unrepresentative of what we can expect in qualifying and tomorrow.

Yesterday’s second session gave us some idea, but for the lies of Russell and Lawson there is some catching up to be done as both crashed out, leaving the Mercedes driver without any experience of the softs here.

Indeed the disruptions meant that nobody had any meaningful high fuel runs.

The track was constantly evolving hence a few surprises in the order, though both Hadjar and Alonso speared to be a genuine threat, at least in terms of a Q3 showing.

Ever the self-critic, told that he needed to find time Norris blamed himself and not his car. On the other hand, the clash with Leclerc in the pitlane was entirely down to Ferrari.

Bearman gets things underway, the Haas driver followed by his teammate, Tsunoda, Colapinto and Lawson, all are on mediums.

Bearman posts a benchmark 33.986, as Tsunoda responds with a 33.743.

A 33.628 puts Lawson top as the McLaren pair head out.

As ever, the Aston pair opt for a different tyre choice to the majority, both opting for the hards.

Norris crosses the line at 32.379, his teammate just 0.175s slower.

Hadjar goes third with a 32.850, but is demoted when Bearman improves to 32.778.

Quickest in S3, Tsunoda goes third (32.767).

The Williams pair head out on softs as the Aston pair pit having scrubbed those hards.

On the red-banded rubber the Williams pair trade fastest sectors. Sainz stops the clock at 31.960 and Albon 32.317.

Replay shows that on his cool down lap Sainz almost ran into the back of a very slow Norris.

As Leclerc heads out, Hamilton posts a 32.807 to go seventh.

Eleven minutes in and Verstappen and the Mercedes pair have yet to appear, odd when you consider how much track time the Briton lost yesterday.

Norris consolidates his top spot with a 31.021.

Hadjar splits the Williams with a 32.064.

Antonelli heads out on softs, likewise his Mercedes teammate.

“Welcome back, that was a very good lap,” Norris is told as Verstappen finally heads out.

Oh dear, Lawson has crashed again. He’s hit the barriers at Turn 7.

The session is red-flagged.

Replay show that he lost the car after running over the kerb as he exited the turn.

“I’m sorry mate,” he says, “I don’t know what happened. I hit the kerb.”

The session resumes and it is the other RB that gets things underway.

As more drivers emerge most are on mediums though the Williams pair stick with their softs, as do the Mercedes drivers.

Russell goes fourth with a 31.707 – his first lap on softs – as Sainz heads down the escape road at Turn 14 following a major lock-up.

Antonelli goes sixth (31.761) and Albon second (31.173).

Sainz improves to third and Verstappen fourth (31.526), the Dutchman on mediums.

Hamilton improves to fourth with a 31.448 as Stroll goes twelfth (32.702).

Like Leclerc, Alonso appears to be doing a couple of cooling laps before going for it.

Antonelli goes top with a 30.760 as Hamilton is noted for a red-flag infringement.

“I’m losing the rear now with these tools,” reports Verstappen who is currently seventh.

Russell improves to fourth as Albon heads down the escape road at Turn 16, while Colapinto nudges the barrier at Turn 17.

God knows what Alonso is doing, he remains twentieth over 5s off the pace.

With 17 minutes remains Stroll, Leclerc and Alonso are on track as we await the qualifying sims.

Alonso is told that he is in “limp home mode”, something that most of us used at some time or another.

Suddenly the session comes alive as the drivers head out on softs, as Alonso posts a 31.835 to go eleventh on the mediums.

Hadsjar goes second (30.679), but is demoted when Leclerc goes second.

Norris stops the clock at 30.292, while Hamilton responds with a 30.559, just 0.267s off the pace.

Quickest in S2, Verstappen maintains the pace in S3, finally crossing the line at 30.148.

Sainz goes third but is demoted when Russell goes second with a 30.197.

Antonelli goes fourth, having been quickest in S1, as Alonso switches to the softs.

Stroll can only manage 16th (31.733) before proceeding to impede Leclerc in a number of corners.

Hulkenberg impedes Gasly in Turn 13 as Russell admits that he is still struggling for confidence in the corner where he crashed yesterday (Turn 16). “The rears are on edge,” he says.

Alonso can only manage 13th (30.923).

Piastri improves to seventh, 0.479s off Verstappen’s pace.

Unlike the majority, Hadjar improves on his second flyer on used softs, the RB driver posting a 30.489 to go sixth.

Hulkenberg goes ninth and his teammate twelfth.

Verstappen almost comes to a stop in order to allow Gasly some space.

As Albon heads down the escape road at Turn 12, Antonelli improves to third, just 0.089s off Verstappen’s pace.

At then death Piastri posts a 30.165 to go second, just 0.017s off the pace.

Tsunoda and Hamilton almost come to grief in yet another case of drivers failing to use their mirrors.

Verstappen is quickest, ahead of Piastri, Russell, Antonelli, Norris, Sainz, Hadjar, Hamilton, Hulkenberg and Leclerc.

Albon is eleventh, ahead of Bortoleto, Ocon, Bearman, Alonso, Colapinto, Stroll, Tsunoda, Gasly and Lawson.

With then Top 5 covered by 0.089s it could well be a scintillating qualifying… we can’t wait.