Summary

  • Hamilton takes pole, Bottas 2nd, Verstappen 3rd

  • Hamilton could break all-time race win record at Portimao

  • Get involved #bbcf1

Live Reporting

Michael Emons

  1. Hamilton has time for another lap. He went out earlier than expected to give himself three chances.

  2. Bottas up after sector two.

  3. Bottas up after sector one.

  4. 'Soft doesn't work very well'

    Jennie Gow
    BBC Radio 5 live pit-lane reporter

    Just spoke to Mercedes and asked is there a problem with your pace? And they said 'no, the soft [tyre] doesn't work very well' - and that's clear to see as they have gone with the mediums in a bit of a shock at the end of quali.

  5. Is that the lap that moves Lewis Hamilton up to 97 poles?

  6. Hamilton to the top, 0.052 seconds clear. Bottas still on a flyer.

  7. Both Mercedes are on the mediums. Not often we end with mediums in play at this stage.

  8. 'Bizarre'

    Jack Nicholls
    BBC Radio 5 Live F1 commentator

    This is a very bizarre qualifying session.

  9. 'Wind picking up'

    Jolyon Palmer
    Former Renault driver on BBC Radio 5 live

    The wind is picking up on the main straight and they maybe why the slipstream was a worthwhile thing for Red Bull to do when Albon isn't in the fight for pole position. It's certainly helped Verstappen.

  10. A rear wing change for Daniel Ricciardo.

  11. If Lewis Hamilton is going to snatch pole, he's going to do so on the medium tyres.

  12. With six minutes left of qualifying, we are looking at Bottas, Hamilton, Verstappen, Leclerc, Perez, Sainz, Albon, Norris, Gasly and Ricciardo (no times from the last two).

  13. Max Verstappen is third after his first flyer. He's got to find a tenth if he is to end Mercedes' dominance of qualifying.

    No times from Gasly or Ricciardo yet.

  14. Valtteri Bottas takes provisional pole with a 1:16.986 on the softs, and Lewis Hamilton is second 0.047 adrift.

    Alexander Albon, on the mediums, is third. Eight minutes for that to change. And as I say every time with eight minutes of qualifying to go - never write off Hamilton.

  15. Get Involved #bbcf1

    Vettel out in Q2

    quixoticgeek: Are Vettel and Leclerc even driving the same car anymore?

    Jeremiah: It is becoming more of a surprise and exceptional to see Vettel in Q3. How times and game changed!

    Alex Mclachlan: Vettel and his Ferrari out qualified by Russell in his Williams. What is going on with Vettel’s car?!

  16. Lewis Hamilton has had 96 pole positions, Valtteri Bottas 14, Max Verstappen two. Surely it's between those three.

  17. 'Red Bull sticking with soft tyres'

    Jolyon Palmer
    Former Renault driver on BBC Radio 5 live

    Mercedes will start the grand prix on mediums tomorrow and Max Verstappen went out, did improve by a fraction and will start the race on the softs.

    Red Bull, for whatever reason, are sticking with that soft tyre and it'll give them a bit more grip off the line and then we're going to be into a different strategy.

  18. Right, here we go for the Q3 showdown. Twelve minutes, two fast laps each, 10 drivers, one man on pole.

  19. Damage for Ricciardo?

    Jolyon Palmer
    Former Renault driver on BBC Radio 5 live

    Up at Turns 11 and 12 for Ricciardo. He was sweeping around team-mate Ocon and backed off but lost the rear of the car and went backwards through the gravel.

    He did hit the wall with a bit of a jolt. There's a lot of sensitive parts at the rear of a Formula 1 car. will he be able to get away with that one or will there be a little knock to a gear box or something else?

  20. That means the Mercedes pair will start on the mediums, as will Charles Leclerc. Max Verstappen will be on the softs, as will the rest of the top 10.

    Max will be hoping for a lightning start tomorrow. Can he start at the front though?