Liam Lawson has made those medium tyres work tonight, so Racing Bulls finally call in the New Zealander to switch to some soft tyres. The battle for second is down to 0.7 seconds now, with Lando Norris in the rear mirror of Max Verstappen. The Briton needs every point going for his title hopes this season.

Engineer: "We have eight cars within 10 seconds. Massive following, it's like starting a race in the middle of a pack."

Sam Bird
Formula E driver on Radio 5 Sports Extra

How have these cars not got out of the way of Max Verstappen and Lando Norris?

DRS has given Max Verstappen a shot of pace to get past the backmarkers and into some free air. Lando Norris is right there, though, hounding the Red Bull driver on every lap.

Lewis Hamilton pits for the second time in this race to take on a set of soft tyres until the end. Leader George Russell is now 5.8 seconds ahead of Max Verstappen in P2, as the front of the field try to clear this snake of cars.

Sam Bird
Formula E driver on Radio 5 Sports Extra

I think Oscar Piastri is a little bit disappointed with the way the race has unfolded for him after that incident with his team-mate Lando Norris.

"I am struggling a lot now."

Image source, Getty Images

Max Verstappen has a lot going on in the cockpit right now. Not only is he trying to challenge George Russell for the race win with a load of slower cars around him, he now says his car is not feeling too great in the dirty air.

"**** blue flags, get out of the way."

George Russell is annoyed with this train of backmarkers out on track. There are three cars between himself and Max Verstappen, with Lando Norris only a few steps behind in third. Just four seconds separate the top three now.

Engineer: "We now think we should take the safety car for soft tyre. Let me know if you strongly disagree."

Piastri: "I don't know what to do right now. You do whatever you think is best."

The Alpine of Franco Colapinto has also been in wars with the Sauber of Nico Hulkenberg, which the stewards have noted. The German has also just spun at Turn Seven, but saves the danger and carries on in last place.

"Mate, the balance is completely out again. It's undriveable"

Franco Colapinto and Yuki Tsunoda are fighting each other just outside the top 10 places and the pair touch slighty as they tussle for 13th place. Max Verstappen is stuck behind the Aston martin of Lance Stroll and he's now flagging issues with balance.

Sam Bird
Formula E driver on Radio 5 Sports Extra

Oscar Piastri's pace is much quicker at the moment compared to the top four.

Can he keep that up over the next five laps or is that just a flash-in-the-pan lap time?

Image source, Getty Images

Max Verstappen and Lando Norris are trying to follow polesitter George Russell but the McLaren driver makes a tiny mistake at Turn 16, allowing the Red Bull to pull clear.

There's a train of midfield cars the front-runners are going to encounter any moment now. Lance Stroll is the first backmarker to be given a blue flag as leader George Russell tries to make his way through the traffic.

Sam Bird
Formula E driver on Radio 5 Sports Extra

Lando Norris will be thinking that if he finishes in second and Oscar Piastri finishes fourth, he will gain more points in that championship lead.

Norris will be desperate to get into that P2 slot come the end of this race.

Verstappen: "The rear is like a handbrake, please help."

Engineer: "Let's have brake balance six please and torque nine."

Image source, Getty Images

While Max Verstappen calls base to ask for his advice on how to tame this Red Bull, Lando Norris is predicted to be on the world champion's rear wing very soon. The Briton is told by his engineer Verstappen is struggling in clean air, but Norris says he's having difficulties in the dirty stuff.