Ahead of today's Shootout (groan), the air temperature is 18 degrees C, while the track temperature is 22 degrees.

Leclerc set the pace earlier, the Ferrari driver almost a second ahead of Norris and Piastri who were second and third.

While there no incident, a few drivers wan wide, particularly at Turn 15, while traffic once again proved to be an issue.

As in Vegas, there was little running on the hards, while the drivers left it late before switching to the softs.

Neither of the Red Bull drivers posted a time on the red-banded rubber and with both Mercedes drivers over a second off the pace a clear picture has yet to emerge.

As ever there were some curious anomalies what with Tsunoda, Bottas and Stroll finishing fifth, sixth and seventh.

The lights go green and Magnussen leads the way, followed by Stroll, Zhou, Bottas and Sainz.

As ever, the Sprint weekend rules stipulate that only mediums can be used in the phase of the shootout and indeed the second phase.

Magnussen posts a benchmark 23.750. Stroll can only manage s 23.984.

Bottas posts a 23.407, and while Sainz fails to improve on this, Leclerc responds with a 23.259.

A 23.291 sees Verstappen go second but the Dutchman is demoted when Norris bangs in a 22.785 to go top by 0.474s.

Russell goes second with a 22.811 as Tsunoda goes seventh and Hamilton tenth.

Magnussen improves to third (22.951), as Stroll goes fourth and Zhou twelfth.

Sainz stops the clock at 22.261 but his teammate responds with a 22.156.

Verstappen crosses the line at 22.580 to go third.

Gasly goes fourth, Ocon tenth and Alonso twelfth.

Perez improves to ninth with a 22.980.

Norris raises the bar with a 22.021 as his teammate goes third with a 22.218.

Quickest in the final two sectors, Russell improves to second with a 22.021, exactly the same time as Norris.

Hamilton can only manage eighth (22.672), as a traffic jam builds at Turn 16, the final corner.

Ocon goes ninth, Stroll sixth, while Norris consolidates his top spot with a 21.356.

Magnussen goes seventh, Hulkenberg ninth and Sainz second. Everyone is improving.

Bottas goes seventh, as Lawson and Albon both improve, thereby demoting Perez into the drop zone.

Verstappen goes fourth and Hamilton fifth, while Albon makes the cut by the skin of his teeth.

"Ah, **** ****," sighs Perez.

Replay shows Perez unhappy after bring passed and seemingly impeded by Leclerc, while Gasly also complains about the antics of some of his colleagues.

Elsewhere, Tsunoda is unhappy that his team sent him out too early. "Why are we always rushing?" asks the Japanese.

Quickest is Norris, ahead of Sainz, Russell, Verstappen, Hamilton, Leclerc, Piastri, Alonso, Bottas and Stroll.

We lose Perez, Tsunoda, Ocon, Zhou and Colapinto.

Hulkenberg is first out for SQ2, he is followed by his teammate, Verstappen and the Ferrari pair.

Hulkenberg crosses the line at 22.416, while his teammate posts a 22.901.

A 22.188 sees Verstappen go top as more drivers head out.

Leclerc posts a 22.130 and his teammate a 22.568.

Magnussen has his time deleted, as Norris goes second with a 22.173.

Piastri goes top with a 22.050 while Gasly goes seventh and Alonso ninth.

Leclerc reports that his front tyres are graining.

Sainz goes top with a 21.809 but is demoted by Russell's 21.488, as Piastri and Verstappen both post exactly the same time (22.050) only for the Australian to have his deleted.

As Norris goes top with a 21.231, Piastri is demoted to 14th as a result of having his time deleted.

Despite a scrappy lap, the Australian goes third with a 21.548.

Stroll goes ninth as a result of a tow from Bottas.

Alonso goes ninth, thereby demoting his Aston Martin teammate.

Verstappen goes fourth, having been quickest in S1.

Albon goes tenth, Lawson eighth and Hulkenberg ninth.

Bottas can only manage twelfth as Hamilton improves to fourth.

Gasly goes ninth which demotes Alonso into the danger zone.

Quickest is Norris, ahead of Russell, Piastri, Hamilton, Verstappen, Sainz, Leclerc, Hulkenberg, Gasly and Lawson.