Summary

  1. Back for qualifying at 21:45 BSTpublished at 19:41 British Summer Time 26 October

    Are McLaren the team to beat in qualifying? And if they are, who will come out on top between Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris?

    We haven't got long to wait to find out, so go and grab yourselves a break, maybe watch Strictly, and then come back and join us for build up to qualifying at 21:45 BST.

    Q1 will go green at 22:00 BST.

    See you shortly!

  2. Postpublished at 19:40 British Summer Time 26 October

    Sam Bird
    Formula E driver on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    Verstappen has had three really difficult practice sessions, he doesn't have any data to go by in regards to his team-mate because Sergio Perez has not been on the pace.

    [Red Bull] have got to change something but what do they change?

  3. And the restpublished at 19:38 British Summer Time 26 October

    11. Alex Albon (Williams)

    12. Valtteri Bottas (Sauber)

    13. Franco Colapinto (Williams)

    14. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)

    15. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)

    16. Nico Hulkenberg (Haas)

    17. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)

    18. Esteban Ocon (Alpine)

    19. Zhou Guanyu (Sauber)

    20. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)

  4. Top 10published at 19:36 British Summer Time 26 October

    1. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) - 1:16.492

    2. Lando Norris (McLaren) +0.059

    3. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) +0.340

    4. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +0.511

    5. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) +0.568

    6. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +0.740

    7. Yuki Tsunoda (RB) +0.810

    8. George Russell (Mercedes) +0.849

    9. Kevin Magnussen (Haas) +0.982

    10. Liam Lawson (RB) +1.002

  5. Postpublished at 19:34 British Summer Time 26 October

    Harry Benjamin
    BBC F1 Commentator

    This is really going to unfold into quite an intriguing qualifying here, it feels that the pendulum is slightly shifting now in McLaren's favour.

  6. chequered flag

    Chequered flagpublished at 19:33 British Summer Time 26 October

    That was a busy session.

    Oscar Piastri ends the final hour top of the timesheets with a 1:16.492 on the soft compound. McLaren team-mate Lando Norris finishes second, 0.059 seconds away from Australian's marker.

  7. 'Mercedes looks nervous and on edge'published at 19:32 British Summer Time 26 October

    Sam Bird
    Formula E driver on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    Every time that Mercedes tries to negotiate a corner, it's as if they just show it the corner and the rear will either over rotate and have an oversteer, or, they will go straight into understeer and have an oversteer moment on the exit.

    It's like the drivers don't really know what's going to happen with the car, it looks so nervous and on edge.

  8. Postpublished at 19:31 British Summer Time 26 October

    Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez are struggling in the Red Bull. Moments after Verstappen flagged a lack of grip, Perez is on the blower to say there is "no potential on the front to attack the braking".

  9. Team radio - Verstappenpublished at 19:29 British Summer Time 26 October

    "Ah this doesn't **** work. There's no grip, front and rear."

  10. Postpublished at 19:28 British Summer Time 26 October

    With the McLarens showing decent form in this third practice session, Max Verstappen will be hoping the ghosts have been banished from his less-than-perfect Red Bull. The Dutchman is fourth on the timesheets but is now on the radio to say the lack of grip is worrying.

  11. Postpublished at 19:25 British Summer Time 26 October

    Sergio Perez, watched on by Papa Perez this weekend, needs a strong race on home soil to turn around what has been a "terrible" season, in his words. The Mexican reaches his adoring fans in the stadium section but a lock-up means he has to back off and abort his attempt, keeping him down in 13th place.

  12. Postpublished at 19:24 British Summer Time 26 October

    Harry Benjamin
    BBC F1 Commentator

    Lando Norris has the new floor and a little upgrade to the front wing that was put in place last weekend in Austin, Oscar Piastri does not.

    That's encouraging for Piastri anyway.

  13. Top fivepublished at 19:22 British Summer Time 26 October

    1. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) - 1:16.492

    2. Lando Norris (McLaren) +0.059

    3. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) +0.340

    4. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +0.511

    5. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) +0.568

  14. Postpublished at 19:21 British Summer Time 26 October

    Lewis Hamilton is fourth on the timesheets after his run on the soft tyres. His engineer Pete Bonnington informs the seven-time world champion he is over half a second away from the McLaren of Oscar Piastri. Hamilton is flabbergasted.

  15. Postpublished at 19:19 British Summer Time 26 October

    Andrew Benson
    BBC F1 correspondent

    [On Ferraris team principal] Fred Vasseur has played an absolute blinder on a whole bunch of different levels but he's just calmed everything down, he's taken the drama out of Ferrari.

    They don't have reliability problems anymore, the strategy is much more solid, they do make the odd mistake but everybody does.

  16. Piastri now quickestpublished at 19:18 British Summer Time 26 October

    That didn't last long. Lando Norris is up on his title rival Max Verstappen and jumps above the Red Bull man to go top. But here comes the second McLaren of Oscar Piastri, who finds 0.059 seconds on his soft flyer to lead the field with a 1:16.492.

  17. 'Tipping Lawson for good things'published at 19:16 British Summer Time 26 October

    Sam Bird
    Formula E driver on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    I am excited about Liam Lawson, I think he's driven pretty much everything and anything and been quick in everything he's ever done. I am tipping him for really good things.

  18. Verstappen goes toppublished at 19:16 British Summer Time 26 October

    It's been a quiet session so far for Max Verstappen following yesterday's power-unit issues. The Dutchman knows his benchmark is the two Ferraris in third practice and as he completes his flyer on the soft compound, he goes top of the leaderboard with a 1:17.003.

  19. Postpublished at 19:14 British Summer Time 26 October

    Franco Colapinto, the driver who has caused quite a stir since he replaced Logan Sargeant mid-way through the season, has put his Williams fifth on the timesheets after his soft-tyre attempt. The rookie has some information for his pit wall, however, saying: "I hit the floor quite hard on the exit of Turn Three".

    Franco ColapintoImage source, Getty Images
  20. 'Ferrari looking quick'published at 19:12 British Summer Time 26 October

    Sam Bird
    Formula E driver on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    Q1 is going to be a nervous time. Ferrari look pretty quick, everybody else I looks like they might have a nervous time.