Ahead of today’s sole practice session the air temperature is 20 degrees C, while the track temperature is 43 degrees. It is bright and sunny and just a little warmer than yesterday.
While Russell topped the timesheets in FP2, there is still no definitive pecking order, and if there is then we could be in for some major shocks this afternoon and tomorrow.
While both Mercedes drivers looked strong, so did the Williams pair, and though Norris was second quickest he and his teammate were clearly struggling.
Alonso was fifth fastest, while Verstappen had the RBs breathing down his neck.
The brevity of their Friday summary tells you all you need to know about Ferrari’s day, with Leclerc crashing out early in the opening session. With the Monegasque unable to take part in FP2 it fell upon Hamilton to work on set-up and tyres, with Alonso in a similar situation at Aston Martin after Stroll stuffed it early in FP2.
The green, dusty track, combined with the inevitable traffic issues are at the root of the problems facing the majority of drivers, while tyres complete the conundrum. Once again the C6 constitutes the softest tyre in the range, but it is likely that teams will follow the example of Aston Martin at Imola and choose mediums for qualifying. Indeed, it is likely that we will see little of the red-banded rubber this afternoon and tomorrow.
The Weather Gods are unlikely to be a factor, with sunshine likely for the remainder of the weekend, even if it remains on the cool side.
The lights go green and work continues on Leclerc’s car.
After five minutes of nothing, Colapinto heads out, followed by Alonso and Stroll. The Alpine driver is on softs, the Aston Martin pair on hards.
As ever, the Astons are scrubbing tyres and pit while Colapinto goes on to post a 15.366.
The RB pair head out, both on hards.
As Leclerc and the Haas pair head out, the Astons aren’t the only drivers scrubbing tyres.
Leclerc (mediums) stops the clock at 15.004 as Gasly and the Stakes head out, followed by Tsunoda.
Bearman posts a 14.831 and Ocon a 15.108 as Colapinto improves to 15.055.
A 14.424 sees Gasly (soft) go top but Leclerc responds with a 14.104.
Colapinto gets agonisingly close to the Wall of Champions.
On the softs, Alonso is quickest in all three sectors, crossing the line at 13.050.
Stroll goes second, ahead of Bearman, Ocon, Bortoleto and Tsunoda, but all are demoted when Leclerc bangs in a 12.843.
Piastri (mediums) goes fourth with a 13.632 but is demoted when Hamilton posts a 13.613.
Alonso misses the final chicane. “No rear grip today,” he complains.
A 13.537 sees Norris go sixth as Bearman goes fourth and Gasly fifth.
Piastri slows after clouting the Wall of Champions with his right-rear. He has a puncture, but is his suspension also damaged? Replay shows he bounced off the kerb.
With 38 minutes remaining, we’ve yet to see Russell, Verstappen or the Williams pair.
The session is red-flagged due to the debris, while Piastri slowly makes his way back to the pits.
“That was lucky,” says Hulkenberg in a masterpiece of understatement after he spins 360 in the final chicane and somehow manages to only brush ‘the wall’, albeit with both ends of his car.
In fact, his spin took place the lap before Piastri’s clash, hence the debris which brought about the red flag.
Leclerc remains quickest, ahead of Alonso, Hamilton, Stroll, Bearman, Gasly, Norris, Piastri, Ocon and Colapinto.
The session resumes with 33 minutes remaining.
Russell is first out, followed by his Mercedes teammate, Norris, Hamilton and Stroll.
Russell goes fourth on the softs while his teammate (softs) can only mange thirteenth.
Norris improves to second on the mediums, while Sainz goes eighth and Albon fifteenth.
A 13.442 sees Verstappen go ninth on the softs. Hadjar goes sixth with a 13.258.
Sainz improves to seventh as Albon remains seventeenth, the Thai driver taking a bumpy ride over the grass.
No sooner has Verstappen gone second (12.857) than Norris stops the clock at 12.375 and Norris at 12.329. Russell is on softs, like Verstappen, and Norris on mediums.
Hadjar improves to fifth, thereby demoting Alonso.
Piastri is back on track so clearly there wasn’t too much damage to his car.
Norris gets a nice tow on the final straight but fails to go top. Behind him, Bearman almost trips up over a wandering Alonso.
Quickest in S1, Verstappen improves to third with a 12.470, however he is demoted when Hamilton crosses the line at 12.279 on the mediums.
That Alonso moment has been noted.
Hadjar spins at Turn 2, as Russell goes quickest in the opening two sectors, finally crossing the line at 11.950.
Elsewhere, Piastri is still fighting his McLaren.
Down in nineteenth, work is going on on the front brakes on Tsunoda’s car.
Bearman goes sixth but is demoted when Albon posts a 12.726. Ocon goes thirteenth.
A 12.519 sees Sainz go sixth.
Norris goes quickest with an 11.799, the Briton quickest in S2.
Antonelli can only manage eighth.
“I touched the wall, I think it’s fine,” says Bearman after clouting it a little harder than he suggests.
PBS in all three sectors see Verstappen remain fourth, 0.411s off the pace.
PBs in the final two sectors see Alonso improve to eighth, albeit 0.7987s off the pace.
Antonelli remains ninth, while Colapinto remains nineteenth.
“I’m starting to get really p***** off with these guys,” admits Gasly after being impeded by his own teammate, who is also getting in the way of Hamilton.
Alonso improves to fifth, as Norris goes quickest in S1.
On his first flying lap, Tsunoda remains last. He has also been noted for a red flag infringement, as has Bortoleto.
Norris fails to improve.
Verstappen improves but remains fourth.
Antonelli improves to seventh as Leclerc goes quickest in S1. Piastri remains eighth as Leclerc maintains a strong pace, crossing the line at 11.877 to go second, 0.078s down on Norris.
“Too many mistakes,” says the Monegasque.
The session ends. Norris is quickest, ahead of Leclerc, Russell, Hamilton, Verstappen, Alonso, Antonelli, Piastri, Sainz and Albon.
Hadjar, Gasly, Lawson, Stroll, Bearman , Ocon, Colapinto, Hulkenberg, Bortoleto and Tsunoda.
A strong session for Norris, while his teammate is clearly struggling, however with Russell, Verstappen and both Ferraris in the mix we could be in for a thrilling qualifying session, especially given factors such as traffic and over enthusiasm.
