This session has finished. No further updates will be posted.
We’ve had a few changes to the grid since qualifying finished yesterday. George Russell breathed a sigh of relief as he was only reprimanded for failing to slow for yellow flags and keeps his fifth place start. But team mate Lewis Hamilton will start from the pit lane after Mercedes changed his power unit. Esteban Ocon will also start from the pit lane, while his team mate Pierre Gasly has to start at the back following his disqualification from qualifying. Full grid here
All drivers are starting the race on the medium compound tyres except for Lando Norris, Alexander Albon, Daniel Ricciardo, Esteban Ocon and Zhou Guanyu who are all on hards.
The 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix is go! Leclerc keeps the lead ahead of Piastri, Perez passes Sainz at turn two, Verstappen takes Russell.
Further back Norris has gained two places from his starting position and is now behind Tsunoda. Hamilton and Ocon have already caught the back of the queue.
L2 Stroll enters the pits with a front-left puncture. He appears to have held up Tsunoda who is 4s behind Bearman. Leclerc leads but Sainz in fourth is coming under pressure from Verstappen.
L3 Piastri uses DRS to close on Leclerc. Norris is inspecting the rear of Tsunoda’s car and passes him for 11th at turn two. Hulkenberg also takes the RB the next time by. Norris now has 4s of air ahead between him and Bearman.
L4 Tsunoda slows on the pit straight, Ricciardo and Gasly pass him at turn one. Hamilton then takes the RB as well.
Norris askes for the gap and is told the gap to Bearman ahead. “No, behind, you muppet!”
Stroll claimed “Tsunoda closed the door on me” when the pair tangled on the first lap. Stroll is now last, 12s off the rear of the field.
Hamilton has climbed up to 15th. He says the medium tyre compound is “pretty bad”.
L6 Leclerc set the fastest lap the last time around, he’s still within a second of Leclerc. Perez now 2.2s behind.
L7 Piastri lost almost seven-tenths of a second to Leclerc in the middle sector and is now out of DRS range. The hards appear to be coming in: Albon is on them and closing on Colapinto and Alonso ahead, both on mediums.
Colapinto says he can take the fight to Alonso: “Let me know when you want me to put him under pressure. I have more pace.”
L8 Norris easily passes Bearman for 10th place in the extended DRS zone.
Russell: “I think a plastic bag just went in the left-hand side airbox.”
L9…
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