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The session is done with Russell fastest ahead of Leclerc and Norris. Read our full report here.
Verstappen moves up to fifth, he caught Perez awkwardly at the end of the lap, which had all the hallmarks of Red Bull trying to synchronise their drivers’ runs to give their championship leader the benefit of a slipstream.
The chequered flag drops with Russell on top of the times. There may be more in that Ferrari, though: Leclerc describes his last effort as: “shit”.
Russell’s had a scrappy session but he’s got some speed in the Mercedes, he goes up to the top with a 1’42.514, 0.013s faster than Leclerc. A brief yellow flag for Hulkenberg at turn three.
Sainz is not at all happy after being held up by Perez on the approach to turn 15. The Ferrari driver has to cut the inside of the corner.
Verstappen goes up to third place with a 1’42.864. Norris gets a useful slipstream from Daniel Ricciardo as he begins a lap, but his first sector is over a tenth off Piastri. He sets a 1’42.737 for second place, 0.173s off Leclerc.
Leclerc has something for Piastri, though – a 1’42.564 beats the McLaren driver by 0.185 seconds. The Ferrari has looked consistently quick since the weekend began, Leclerc’s prang yesterday notwithstanding.
Hamilton, who was in the top three in both of yesterday’s sessions, moves up to second with a 1’43.301, but is a whopping 0.552s off Piastri.
Now Russell skids off and resumes, but he reports “the ride feels terrible, down the straight, under braking.”
Russell: “Check the PU, something feels and sounds a little bit funny.”
Perez does a 1’43.389 to take over the top of the times, but Piastri produces a much stronger lap, 1’42.749, 0.64 seconds faster than the Red Bull.
Leclerc takes over at the top of the times with a 1’43.455 in the Ferrari, 0.168s up on Albon. Sainz slots into third, 0.341s off his team mate.
The session has restarted again with Albon still on top of the times followed by Piastri and Nico Hulkenberg up in third.
Bearman is kicking himself over that mistake. “I’m such an idiot,” he says on the radio. He’s damaged the front-left of his car, which the Haas team should be able to repair in time for qualifying, which starts in just under three hours’ time.
The red flag comes as a relief – literally – for Charles Leclerc, who had been asking his team if he could go to the toilet at the end of the previous red…
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