Ahead of today's sole practice session the air temperature is 30 degrees, while the track temperature is 49 degrees. It remains bright, sunny and hot!
Ferrari set the pace in opening practice, while in FP2 it was Mercedes who led the way.
However, there is a feeling that neither team is yet to show its hand, with Ferrari, which is running its new engine here, thought to be particularly careful about revealing all. Then again, we have yet to see Mercedes run the soft tyres.
McLaren is also looking good, while Red Bull is struggling and is likely to be under pressure from its sister team once again.
We've seen early signs of the energy management problems that are expected this weekend, cars up to 30km/h slower on the straights than last year, but it is tomorrow, especially in the opening laps, when all will be revealed.
Though grid positions are not that important here - not that we'd want to tell Kimi Antonelli that - teammates are likely to be assisting one another with tows in qualifying, and we can expect to see some of them practice the art over the next hour.
Talking of Mr Antonelli, since he is starting from the back of the grid his fate is already decided so all that remains for him is to assist his teammate, and championship rival.
Green light, and while a number of drivers, including Russell, are not even in their cars, Bortoleto heads out, followed by his teammate Hulkenberg. Both subsequently pit, the teams clearly keen to save tyres for qualifying.
Colapinto heads out, followed by Gasly and Sainz, the Spaniard on softs whereas everyone else has been on mediums.
The Alpine pair opt not to pit, however Colapinto misses the first chicane.
There is clearly a problem with Albon's car. As he headed out he reported a problem with his steering and had to be pushed back into his garage.
Gasly posts a 25.349, Sainz a 25.482 and Colapinto a 26.561.
At this point the session finally springs into life as a whole load more drivers emerge, including Albon.
Lawson is the first of the big guns to emerge.
Gasly raises the bar with a 23.878, while Alonso can only manage 26.288.
Colapinto stops the clock at 23.766 as Lawson crosses the line at 24.240 to go third.
At which point Antonelli, Verstappen and the Ferrari pair head out.
Norris, Piastri and Russell climb into their cars with 43 minutes remaining.
Sainz goes top with a 24.642.
Softs are now the order of the day, though a few drivers are sticking with the mediums.
Tsunoda and Albon have both been noted for failing to follow escape road instructions.
Antonelli (softs) goes top with a 23.032 as Leclerc, also on the red-banded rubber, goes second, Verstappen (mediums) third and Hamilton thirteenth.
Albon goes tenth, ahead of Sainz and Hulkenberg.
A scare for Piastri in the second chicane, as teammate Norris finally heads out. Piastri crosses the line at 23.878 to go seventh.
Lawson spins on exiting the first chicane, thereby bringing out the yellows.
"Nothing I could do," he says, "I lost the rears in low speed."
Colapinto goes third with a 23.766, as, with 35 minutes remaining, Leclerc, Norris and Russell have yet to post times.
Verstappen goes second with a 23.467, but is demoted when Gasly improves to 23.416.
Norris goes fourth and Hamilton fifth, both over 0.6s off the pace.
Russell goes fourth with a 23.508, but is demoted when a 23.271 puts Leclerc second.
"That's a good lap in free air," Verstappen is told. The Dutchman doesn't agree. "Yeah, but I need the tow to see the difference again. This is quite slow."
"Is everything OK," Piastris is asked. "It's great," he replies, very, very dryly, having been forced to miss the first chicane after locking-up.
Piastri improves to ninth, just ahead of Hamilton, having lost time in the final sector.
Verstappen follows Piastri's example and locks-up at the first chicane.
PBs in all three sectors see Tsunoda go thirteenth.
Quickest in S3, Hamilton goes third with a 23.111 having benefited from a tow from Colapinto.
Quickest in S1, Russell goes top with a 22.687, despite not getting a tow.
Ah, replay shows that he got a tow from his teammate at the very start of the lap.
Norris improves to seventh, but remains 0.744s off the pace.
A 23.065 puts Leclerc third, but he is subsequently leapfrogged by his teammate who, without a tow, stops the clock at 23.040, 0.008s off Antonelli's pace.
Lawson has a wobble in the second chicane after being unsettled by Russell's Mercedes.
Both Williams drivers have been noted for yellow flag infringements.
"I can't see over my rear tyres, so I can't see people coming," warns Hamilton.
The qualifying sims get underway and as Russell consolidates his top spot with a 22.463, Verstappen goes second with a 22.790.
Antonelli and Alonso head out, the four drivers having the track to themselves at present.
Antonelli improves to second with a 22.696, 0.233s off his teammate's pace.
Gasly, Bortoleto, Lindblad, Colapinto and a whole host of others head out.
As ever, traffic is going to be an issue, not helped by those drivers looking to aid their teammates with a tow.
Taking of which, Sainz improves to fifteenth, as Lindblad goes third with a 22.724.
Gasly goes seventh, Colapinto eighth and Bortoleto tenth.
Piastri goes quickest in S1, he's getting a tow from Leclerc, while giving a tow to Russell.
Lawson fails to improve as Norris goes fifth and Hamilton can only manage seventh.
Perez runs wide in the first Lesmo kicking up a great cloud of dust.
"This ******* Ferrari again, my God always in the way," moans Verstappen.
Traffic, lack of grip and energy management strategy are clearly taking their toll.
Antonelli improves in S1 but subsequently eases off only to build up pace in S3 and improve to 22.580.
Hamilton goes quickest in S1, as Norris goes quickest in S2.
Russell improves to 22.219 as Hamilton goes second (22.445), Verstappen third and Norris fifth, behind Antonelli.
Lindblad remains seventh, ahead of Piastri, who appeared to be impeded by Russel.
On the entry to the Parabolica, Hamilton cheekily edges ahead of Verstappen. The Dutchman is not happy and races the Ferrari down the subsequent straight. Indeed, they almost touch on arrival at the first chicane.
"He caused that," says the Dutchman. "I got blocked by Max," reports Hamilton.
Piastri goes purple in S1, as Gasly goes eighth overall.
Piastri can only manage eighth having had a poor second sector.
The session ends and as he seeks to head out of the pits to take part in the practice starts Russell is caught out by the red light.
The stewards have noted Hamilton and Verstappen's silliness.
Russell is quickest, ahead of Hamilton, Verstappen, Antonelli, Norris, Leclerc, Lindblad, Piastri, Gasly and Colapinto.
Hulkenberg is eleventh, ahead of Lawson, Bortoleto, Bearman, Tsunoda, Sainz, Ocon, Albon, Alonso, Bottas, Perez and Stroll.
The perfect appetiser for qualifying, though, as we have seen, traffic, grip, energy management strategy and indeed team strategy is likely to have a significant impact.
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