Ahead of Q1, the air temperature is 27 degrees C, while the track temperature is 50 degrees. It remains hot and sunny, and with the wind having picked up since this morning's session.

Piastri's AI claims aside, qualifying here was always going to be a bit of a lottery, but the wind is only going to further complicate matters.

Norris was quickest this morning, but once again the Ferraris were there or thereabouts, while Antonelli was also in the mix.

Various factors are making this really hard to predict, for other than the wind, the track is dusty, then there's the heat and also thermal tyre deg, with some drivers able to squeeze out two hot laps while others can only manage one. Furthermore, in Q1, in particular, you can add traffic to the equation.

With so many banana skins to trip up on, experience may well prove to be the key, in which case Hamilton is your man, though, following a difficult Friday, young Antonelli was finally in the groove earlier.

As was the case last weekend in Belgium, we are seeing unexplained disparity between teammates.

Leaving the big guns aside, Audi continues to look strong, likewise RB, Lindblad doing brilliantly to post the thirteenth best time earlier despite missing the opening 55 minutes of the session.

Alpine is up there, ahead of Haas, while we wait to see what the updated Aston Martin can do, particularly in the hands of Alonso.

In a number of garages there is frantic work going on, particularly at Red Bull on Hadjar's car.

Green light, and Bottas leads Sainz and Albon out into the sunshine. They are followed by Stroll and Alonso.

Hamilton is the first of the big guns to head out, the Briton followed by his Ferrari teammate, both on mediums.

Sainz posts a 23.576, Albon a 21.596, Stroll a 20.847 and Alonso a 20.665, the Spaniard quickest in all three sectors.

As Bottas posts a 21.723, Sainz has his time deleted.

Hamilton stops the clock at 18.730, while Leclerc responds with an 18.878, the Monegasque quickest in S3.

As the Mercedes pair head out on softs, Leclerc has his time deleted after exceeding track limits in Turn 3.

Antonelli aborts his first flyer, while Verstappen goes top with an 18.656 on the softs.

Hadjar goes third (18.754), ahead of Gasly and Alonso.

Quickest in the first two sectors, Antonelli crosses the line at 18.726 to go second, 0.70s down on Verstappen.

Russell can only manage fifth (18.922), just ahead of Leclerc (19.344).

Despite a wild final corner, Piastri goes fifth with an 18.891, but is demoted when his teammate posts an 18.277.

Lawson goes eighth and Lindblad tenth as Gasly's time is deleted as is Bortoleto's.

Ahead of the final assault, Bearman, Albon, Sainz, Bottas, Perez and Bortoleto comprise the drop zone, with Stroll, Gasly and Ocon hovering.

Verstappen heads out on used softs, as do the Mercedes pair. Leclerc sticks with the mediums.

Norris, Hamilton, Hadjar and Piastri appear to have settled for the times thy have already posted.

Verstappen remains second, but is demoted when Antonelli posts an 18.554.

Russell improves from seventh to sixth, as Leclerc goes eighth.

Bortoleto goes ninth, Ocon thirteenth and Bearman fourteenth.

Hulkenberg goes sixth, Alonso fourteenth and Gasly thirteenth.

Colapinto goes fourteenth at the death.

"Good job," says Alonso, who makes the cut, "plenty more to come."

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

"Alex it was a good lap considering the car is all over the place, that is on us," James Vowles tells a clearly disappointed Albon, the Williams boss offering his apologies to Sainz also.
Q2 gets the green light, and Alonso is first out. As he begins his first flyer, he is joined by Verstappen, Antonelli and Russell.

Alonso crosses the line at 20.696, the onboard showing him clearly struggling with the car.

Verstappen stops the clock at 18.249, while his teammate spins at Turn 12, running his lap and that of several others.

Leclerc goes second, ahead of Hulkenberg, but both are demoted when Norris crosses the line at 18.566.

Lindblad goes third with an 18.825 as Piastri goes fifth, only to be demoted when Antonelli bangs in an 18.178.

Russell goes fourth, having lost out to the yellows that followed Hadjar's spin.

Talking of which, Leclerc has been noted for a yellow flag infringement.

Hamilton goes top with a 17.931

"I've got no grip, Bono, something wrong with tyres," reports Antonelli, "I have zero grip."

"It was a pretty tricky lap," says Hamilton.

As Alonso heads out, the stewards announce that there will be no further investigation of Leclerc.

Alonso improves to tenth with a 19.808, but it is unlikely to be enough.

Norris is warned that the wind is variable in Turn 1.