Summary

Live Reporting

Gary Rose

  1. The top five after those fast laps looks like this:

    1) Norris 1:13.718

    2) Verstappen

    3) Hamilton

    4) Leclerc

    5) Piastri

    All set their latest times on softs.

  2. Lewis Hamilton is just 0.011s off Max Verstappen's time as he goes P2.

    However, Lando Norris dips below 1:14 with 1:13.718 to go three tenths clear of the field.

  3. More soft tyres on show now and, after Charles Leclerc briefly goes quickest, Max Verstappen goes P1 with a 1:14.085, a tenth quicker than Leclerc.

    Lewis Hamilton is on a fast lap now as well.

  4. Nico Hulkenberg is on softs and after going green in sectors one and two he is fastest of all through sector three and leaps up to P2, a tenth down on George Russell's time.

    Ferrari are also bolting on some softs.

  5. And on those mediums George Russell goes quickest of all with 1:17.751. That's half a second quicker than Lando Norris.

  6. 'Verstappen is well in this title fight'

    Olli Caldwell
    Former F2, F3 and Alpine development driver on Sports Extra 3

    He [Max Verstappen] should definitely not be put out of the equation looking at the driver standings, the top three are in their own little world. Max is hanging on in there. If he can have a good weekend, if a safety car can throw in some hurdles for other teams and if he can get a good strategy, then he's well in this title fight. He's doing a great job this season.

  7. Approaching the halfway point in first practice and some of the drivers are changing tyres now. George Russell is one of them as he goes from hards to mediums.

  8. Lewis Hamilton tries to get past Isack Hadjar on the inside of the Racing Bulls and I don't think Hadjar sees him, narrowing the gap as he takes the corner and forcing Hamilton to back off.

  9. Lots of data gathering in the first half of practice at the moment but Lando Norris and Fernando Alonso have just gone back to the pits to presumably go through what has been gathered and continue onto the next stage of their programme.

  10. 'Win big momentum boost Norris needed going into this round'

    Olli Caldwell
    Former F2, F3 and Alpine development driver on Sports Extra 3

    He [Lando Norris] definitely had some pressure going into Monaco. He pulled it out the bag and the end result was what mattered. It's definitely a big momentum boost that he needed going into this round and the end of the triple header to claw back some points from his team-mate Oscar Piastri.

  11. Lando Norris, winner of the Monaco Grand Prix last-time out, clocks a 1:15.259 to go two tenths quicker than Fernando Alonso and move into top spot.

  12. Alonso to 'think carefully' about future

    .Getty Images

    This is Fernando Alonso's home race but, at the age of 43, he isn't sure how many more of them he will compete in.

    He said: "Every year there is a different mood into the season, a different feeling on how you perform, how competitive you feel, how motivated you are to keep your fitness at the high level, personal situation, all these things play a role in some important decisions in life.

    “I know a very important decision will come in the near future about when I stop racing. I first drove a go-kart when I was three years old. I am now 43. I have had a steering wheel in my hands for 40 years, I know one year I will have to stop and it’s an important decision I will think carefully.

    "I stopped F1 in 2018 and I came back because I needed. The next one that I take it has to be 100% sure.”

  13. Five of the 20 drivers have not set a time yet, including Carlos Sainz who, like Fernando Alonso, is hoping to do well at his home race.

  14. Now Fernando Alonso, hoping his home race can bring him some joy this weekend, goes quickest with 1:15.480 on hards.

  15. Oops.

    Ryo Hirakawa loses the rear of his Haas and is into the gravel.

    "Sorry," he says on the radio.

  16. 'I can't see it making a difference'

    Olli Caldwell
    Former F2, F3 and Alpine development driver on Sports Extra 3

    [On if the technical directive introduced this weekend will make a difference] I think it depends who you ask. It seems quite split between teams in their PR statements on if it's going to make a big difference or not. We might see it's closer in qualifying with some speeds in the straight lines being a bit closer. The teams have known about it and have all tested it. I can't see it making a difference to the order.

  17. Lando Norris goes top of the early order with 1:16.095s on the hard tyres. Both Williams are out running with aero rakes on their cars.

  18. Many of the drivers are kicking things off on the hardest compound of tyre.

  19. The drivers have got vests on. Not the string ones Rab C Nesbitt wears but cooling vests, because it is that hot out there.

  20. Go! Go! Go!

    Off we go with one hour of first practice.