Summary

  • Verstappen on sprint race pole; Norris 2nd; Piastri 3rd

  • Albon out in SQ1, Alonso out in SQ2

  • Use audio icon at top of the page to listen to BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra commentary

  • Verstappen tops first practice

  • Get involved #bbcf1

Live Reporting

Lorraine McKenna & Tasnim Chowdhury

  1. The red flag has been lifted now as the cars make their way back out.

    Oh wow, Red Bull have managed to make a quick change and the Dutchman is back out on track!

  2. On the TV replay, it looks like Verstappen is really struggling with his car. Can the Red Bull team get it fixed in time?

    The car has been wheeled back into the garage.

    There's only 24 minutes left of practice.

  3. Ben Edwards
    F1 commentator on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    Max Verstappen is concerned he has an engine fault and this is a bit of a problem if there is a bit of an engine fault, because [Red Bull] are already onto their full line of engines this year.

  4. Everyone else heads back to the garages as the marshalls wheel Max Verstappen's car towards an exit gate.

  5. Red flag

    Oh dear what's happened here?

    The Red Bull of Max Verstappen has stopped on track.

    Engine fault, he tells his team.

  6. Mercedes in a good place

    Marc Priestley
    Former F1 mechanic on BBC Radio 5 Live

    Mercedes are in a very good place right now. They seem very comfortable in the car, it looks very good and the laps times are reflecting that.

    They will be very pleased at this point, given that we're over half way through the only practice session. They are clearly looking the most comfortable, albeit with the soft-tyre runs still to come.

  7. Is it too early to say the Mercedes look strong this weekend?

    Lewis Hamilton goes purple as he tops the time sheet with a lap time of 1:06.254.

    George Russell is just one tenths behind his team-mate.

  8. Oh dear, Yuki Tsunoda is still having an issue with his steering column. He's asked the team if they can change it. The answer is after the session is over.

    Right, cars are making their way out onto the track.

    The Williams are still the only cars on the soft tyres. Everyone else is on a mix of soft and hard tyres.

  9. Drivers have headed into their garages to let their team have a look at the cars.

    It's the only practice session this weekend, with the sprint qualifying next. Every lap will count, this session.

  10. Top 5

    1. Lewis Hamilton 1:06.254

    2. George Russell

    3. Max Verstappen

    4. Sergio Perez

    5 Lando Norris

  11. Team radio - Hulkenberg to Haas

    "All these cry babies here with the traffic."

  12. Charles Leclerc was setting a fast lap when he got into a bit of traffic with the Haas of Nico Hulkenberg.

    Hulkenberg was told on the radio to look out for Max Verstappen, but he's not too happy...

  13. The two Mercedes are still at the top of the time sheet.

    Russell in top spot and Hamilton making it a 1-2 currently.

    They are both on the hard tyres.

    Meanwhile, Perez has shot up to sit in fourth, behind team-mate Verstappen.

  14. Marc Priestley
    Former F1 mechanic on BBC Radio 5 Live

    On a traditional weekend, Ferrari might not be so worried because they have the benefit of time to try and fine tune the car - but they don't have that this weekend, so they kind of needed it to be fairly quick out of the blocks, and I think they even expected it to be quick out of the blocks.

    They will be slightly disrupted by this and they do need to find a way of dragging that car to the front, because these are the opportunities they need to take to.

  15. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc is making his way around the Red Bull Ring. He's currently in 10th spot but can he go faster?

    He's whizzed past a few slower cars.

    His team-mate Carlos Sainz, has moved up to fifth, six tenths behind the fastest car of George Russell.

  16. Can Perez get back in the fight?

    Marc Priestley
    Former F1 mechanic on BBC Radio 5 Live

    That's going to be a dynamic to watch - the two Red Bulls. We've know how good Max Verstappen is. We know this is a circuit that should suit that car; traditionally it always has done - not just because they own it - but it suits the characteristics of their car.

    But we've all been looking at Sergio Perez and asking the question when is he going to rejoin Max at the front? When is he going to be able to help this fight that Red Bull now have on their hands - particularly for the constructors' championship.

    I think because this is a circuit we should see some normality to their car working well and where Sergio will at least have the opportunity to have a clean weekend.

  17. Max Verstappen bumped Lewis Hamilton to the top, but it doesn't last long as George Russell goes fastest.

    Russell is on a lap time of 1:06.386.

  18. Team radio - Tsunoda to RB

    "I don't like this steering column. Feels weird."

  19. The Williams of Alex Albon and Logan Sargeant are the last two cars out, they're the only drivers to bolt on the soft tyres.

    But, it looks like Yuki Tsunoda might be having issues with his car...

  20. Lewis Hamilton tries to go fast around the corner but gets into a bit of traffic behind a slow Aston Martin.

    But that doesn't matter too much, as he sets a fast lap that takes him to the top of the time sheet.