Is the Red Bull really off the pace this weekend? Max Verstappen is gearing up for a flying lap to try and lift his car up the order.

On a set of soft tyres, and a clear run, the three-time world champion stays in sixth spot with a time of 1:20.368. Replays show the middle sector was a bit scrappy for Verstappen.

Harry Benjamin
BBC F1 Commentator

Image source, Getty Images

These Red Bulls are not happy, the long run pace was there yesterday but on these quick laps, I think qualifying might be a bit of a challenge.

Verstappen is sixth fastest coming into the pits, we always know he can pull it out of the bag eventually. Perez is struggling and is down in 15th at the moment. The Red Bulls seemingly finding it difficult out there.

Before those quick times came in, race control noted an incident of impeding between Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc.

The two drivers were trying to find position on track with the RB of Daniel Ricciardo. Leclerc had to put his Ferrari on to the grass as the Piastri moved across to get out of the way of Ricciardo.

The RB driver said it was a mess over the team radio, Leclerc commented "he nearly shunted with Oscar" and now the stewards will investigate after the session.

Andrew Benson
BBC F1 correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

The word on the street is that Valtteri Bottas is in pole position for that team [Sauber] and if that's the way they go I think that's the right choice, he is the best driver on the grid at the moment who is still available.

Image source, Reuters

1. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) - 1:20.117

2. George Russell (Mercedes) +0.093

3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +0.109

4. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) +0.135

5. Lando Norris (McLaren) +0.145

"The car doesn't turn low speed or medium speed."

"Felt pretty rubbish, balance is quite a long way off."

Mind your backs. The Mercedes are coming through.

Lewis Hamilton and George Russell swap to the softs and instantly go to the top of the timesheets, with the seven-time world champion 0.093 seconds quicker than his team-mate.

But even though Russell is sitting in second place, and Max Verstappen struggling in the Red Bull in sixth, he's far from happy with the car's performance...

Image source, Getty Images

No, he can't.

Lando Norris is on the C5 rubber and has a 1:20.226 as his benchmark set by Charles Leclerc a few moments ago.

The McLaren driver, who is 70 points behind Max Verstappen in the title race, crosses the line but his flyer on the softs is only good enough for second spot, which now turns into P3 after team-mate Oscar Piastri clocks a 1:20.252, which is just a fraction better than Norris' time.

Abbi Pulling
F1 Academy championship leader on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

The seats getting hot could be down to electronics, there's a lot of wires running behind the driver, you can sometimes get a wire that seems to overheat.

Harry Benjamin
BBC F1 Commentator

There's a mixture of drivers - about half and half in the pits and on the track, and a mixture on the soft and medium tyre. We will see a lot of that soft tyre action later on in qualifying.

Image source, Reuters

Meanwhile, Charles Leclerc is continuing with his soft-tyre run and with the relayed circuit evolving with every lap, the Ferrari driver goes quickest in the middle and final sectors to go top with a 1:20.226.

The main gripe during yesterday's practice sessions for Lewis Hamilton and George Russell was an extremely warm seat for both drivers. Have the team managed to solve the problem?

"My seat is very hot again," Russell has just flagged to his pit wall.

Andrew Benson
BBC F1 correspondent

Red Bull didn't want to give Liam Lawson up for the rest of the season because, as far as I've been told, currently the plan is to put Lawson in the car - I think that means the RB car - for the Austin GP [replacing Danny Ricciardo]. That's the plan right now - it could change but that's the thinking, as I'm told.

Image source, Getty Images

1. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) - 1:20.463 (soft)

2. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +0.102 (soft)

3. Alex Albon (Williams) +0.133 (soft)

4. George Russell (Mercedes) +0.243 (medium)

5. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) +0.303 (medium)

Steady on, Max. The Dutchman is working through his run plan on a set of medium tyres and is eighth on the timesheets. But he has a twitch as the rear of his Red Bull swings out when he takes a bit too much kerb through the second Lesmo.

A few moments later, Verstappen reaches the slow-moving Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton - and he's not happy

"This Mercedes is just driving on the normal racing line," he tells his pit wall.

"Fairly standard, Max," comes the reply.

Meow.

Abbi Pulling
F1 Academy championship leader on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

It's been a conversation over the last couple of years of F2 champions not being promoted, and now we're seeing all these names coming back in and getting the opportunity.

Just being in an academy myself it's a positive to know that we are getting looked at and recognised.

Image source, Reuters

While Williams' Franco Colapinto had a less dramatic debut then Andrea Kimi Antonelli yesterday, the Argentine did lock up at the end of one of the sessions, causing a yellow flag.

He'll want to stay out of the gravel today...

Image source, Getty Images

It's a (sort of) special day for Alex Albon, who is celebrating a personal milestone of his missing body part.

"All in one piece for Monza quali today! (Un)happy 2 year-appendicitis-anniversary," the Williams driver wrote on X.

In 2022, Albon was ruled out of the Italian Grand Prix after being diagnosed with appendicitis and next year, he gets to share his experience with new team-mate Carlos Sainz, who is also appendix-less.

Who needs that finger-shaped pouch anyway. Albon has just gone top with a 1:20.596 on the soft rubber.

The tifosi have brought plenty of posters of Charles Leclerc mocked up as a saint this weekend and the Ferrari driver is delivering so far. He's just gone 0.092 seconds faster than George Russell, however, Leclerc's time has been set on the softs, while Mercedes' Russell's top time was clocked on the mediums.