Ahead of Q1, the air temperature is 12 degrees C, while the track temperature is 15 degrees.

Mercedes continues to look strong with George Russell setting the pace earlier. Oscar Piastri was second quickest ahead of Carlos Sainz and title protagonists Lando Norris and Max Verstappen.

For the Dutchman it was a marked turnaround on Thursday, overnight changes to set-up seemingly having done the trick. For most of the session Verstappen complained his car was "undriveable" but changes late in the hour brought a significant improvement.

Asked about stories surrounding the "wrong" rear wing that Red Bull is supposed to have brought, Christian Horner said that in fact the team does not have a circuit specific wing - as was the case at Monza - as a result of the restraints of the budget cap, and consequently, unlike its rivals is unable to have a version specific to this track.

It's unclear if the set-up changes will aid his teammate for Sergio Perez failed to complete a lap having run out of time when the session was red-flagged late in the session after Lance Stroll stopped on track with an energy recovery system issue.

On the evidence thus far Mercedes is looking good, and while Ferrari and McLaren are thereabouts, some may have written off Red Bull a little too early.

Williams looked strong earlier, as did Haas and Alpine, while RB and Aston Martin are clearly struggling.

The lights go green and Russell leads the way, followed by Lawson, Gasly, Albon and Ocon.

Ocon is advised to do some weaving on the run to Turn 5 in order to generate more heat into his tyres.

Of the first wave Zhou goes quickest (36.777) ahead of his teammate, while the rest opt to do two warm up laps.

Gasly gets serious with a 34.509, as Hamilton goes purple in S1. The Briton and Piastri trade fastest sectors, and while Perez goes fourth (34.879), the Australian posts a 34.058 and Hamilton a 34.238.

Norris goes second with a 34.088 - to make it a McLaren 1-2 - and Russell fourth (34.345).

Verstappen posts a 34.353 to go fifth, 0.295s off the pace.

A 34.252 sees Tsunoda go fourth, as Alonso goes fifth and Colapinto tenth.

Piastri consolidates his top spot with a 33.450, as Leclerc posts a 33.966.

Norris improves to 33.592 but remains second to his teammate.

With just under seven minutes remaining the Haas pair emerge, leaving Stroll as the only no show.

Sainz goes second (33.484), as Verstappen and the Mercedes pair look set to improve.

Verstappen goes fourth (33.800), while Hamilton goes fifth, Russell demoting both with a 33.363.

Leclerc goes second with a 33.446 while Magnussen and Hulkenberg opt for two warm up laps.

Gasly improves from eleventh to eighth with a 33.844 as his teammate posts a 34.246 to go ninth.

Hulkenberg goes ninth and Magnussen tenth as Perez slips into the danger zone.

A 33.299 sees Verstappen go top, as Stroll finally heads out, with less than two minutes remaining.

All twenty drivers are on track.

Though quickest in the final sector, Leclerc fails to improve his overall time.

Perez goes twelfth but is it enough?

Hamilton goes top with a 33.225 but is demoted when his teammate posts a 33.186.

Gasly goes eighth, Colapinto ninth and Ocon eleventh, which demotes Perez into the danger zone again.

Stroll can only manage twentieth as Norris goes seventh and Magnussen thirteenth.

"Super messy with the traffic," complains Bottas who has a 5-place grid drop anyway..

Russell is quickest, ahead of Hamilton, Verstappen, Leclerc, Piastri, Sainz, Norris, Gasly, Colapinto and Tsunoda.

We lose Perez, Alonso, Albon, Bottas and Stroll.

Verstappen heads out to get Q2 underway, the world champion followed by Russell, Magnussen, Zhou and Lawson.

Russell posts a 33.585 while Hulkenberg crosses the line at 33.273. Verstappen stops the clock at 39.663 as he opts for two warm ups.

A 33.136 sees Hamilton go top, as Colapinto goes fourth, ahead of Zhou, Verstappen and Gasly.

Piastri goes second (33.137) - a thousandth off Hamilton's pace - and teammate Norris fourth.

Tsunoda goes sixth and Magnussen seventh.

Verstappen improves to third with a 33.201, just 0.065s off the pace, as Sainz aborts his first run.

Quickest in S1, Verstappen crosses the line at 33.085 to go top, the top three covered by 0.052s.

Russell goes quickest in S1, while his teammate also looks set to improve.

Russell maintains the pace, crossing the line at 32.881 to go top, while Hamilton goes second with a 32.965.

Leclerc goes third and Sainz sixth, those six covered by just 0.267s.

Norris improves from seventh to fifth, 0.218s off the pace.

In a bid to make some space Zhou almost collects Sainz.

Piastri improves to fourth, as the Mercedes pair trade fastest sectors.

Russell consolidates his top spot with a 32.779, but Hamilton responds with a 32.567.

Sainz splits the Mercedes pair with a 32.711 as Tsunoda goes seventh as Colapinto hits the inside wall at Turn 15, badly damaging the suspension on the Williams.

A disaster for Williams but also for a number of drivers, such as Magnussen, who are unable to complete their final flyers.

Hamilton is quickest, ahead of Sainz, Russell, Gasly, Leclerc, Piastri, Verstappen, Tsunoda, Norris and Hulkenberg

We lose Ocon, Magnussen, Zhou, Colapinto and Lawson... Gasly's late time proof that there was room for improvement.

The start of Q3 is delayed as the barrier is repaired, while Williams faces a similar nightmare. Only yesterday James Vowles revealed that the crashes in Mexico and Brazil cost the team in excess of $3m. Other than the money there is also the question of spare parts.

Race Control reveals that Q3 will get underway at 23:09 (local time).