In comes Max Verstappen in to the pits. Another gamble from Red Bull. Medium tyres for him. Bottas just edges out ahead but expect Verstappen to attack straight away.

Jolyon Palmer
Former Renault driver on BBC Radio 5 live

Mercedes are very quick through the fast corners and that is where you put a lot of load through the tyres. That radio message, seeing Lewis Hamilton tyres, this is looking better and better for Red Bull and Max Verstappen.

1. Verstappen
2. Bottas +17.6
3. Hamilton +21.9
4. Hulkenberg +33.7
5. Stroll +35.5
6. Ricciardo +40
7. Leclerc +42.5
8. Norris +48.5
9. Albon +50.2
10. Ocon +58.2

"Blister, right front," says Lewis Hamilton. He's already stopped once. We're not even at halfway!

Image source, Reuters

Arthur Moore: Mercedes struggling with tyre management. What is this...2011?

Jeremiah: The tyres seem to be working to the advantage of Verstappen! We have a race and Mercedes have a race to salvage!

Max Verstappen on Red Bull team radio: "My tyres feels good. It's all good, it's all good."

Sainz into the pits from fourth but it is not a good stop as he nearly smashes into a Renault after being released. He has to quickly stop and that is some time thrown away for McLaren.

Kevin Magnussen and Nicholas Latifi are both under investigation. Magnussen is 20th and Latifi is 18th so whatever happens with that one they won't be troubling the scorers today.

loekieprivat: Sensible strategy for Max would be 20 laps on the hards, 22 laps on new hards, 10 laps on mediums? As mediums used in Q2 seem to last 12-14 laps in the race.

Iro: These tyres are somewhere between entertaining and atrocious

Jolyon Palmer
Former Renault driver on BBC Radio 5 live

If Mercedes have any hope of winning this race, they need to start eating into this 13-second lead that Verstappen has opened up and soon...

"Verstappen is the real threat here, he's one-stopping."

Verstappen is 13 seconds clear of Bottas, with Hamilton three seconds further adrift. Carlos Sainz is fourth, then the two Racing Points with Hulkenberg fifth and Stroll sixth.

Max Verstappen is still on his original tyres. He's the only one of the top three. Sainz and Vettel also yet to stop.

Image source, Reuters

Nulla: Was the earlier message to Max about tyres a bluff to trick Mercedes?

Harry: By pitting Bottas first, Mercedes yet again demonstrates that these two drivers are given a fair chance.

Max Verstappen to his Red Bull team: Are the tyres OK? I am managing the front left a little?

Red Bull to Verstappen: Understood. We are happy with the appearance of the tyres. Good job.

Jolyon Palmer
Former Renault driver on BBC Radio 5 live

I think everyone is so nervous about the tyres after last weekend, I wonder if Max Verstappen might attempt to eke out his tyres for a one-stopper. It would be huge roll of the dice for the Red Bulls...

Valtteri Bottas is currently holding the fastest lap bonus point. A long way to go though.

Jennie Gow
BBC Radio 5 live pit-lane reporter

These hard tyres you can get about 20 laps out of them. The wisdom is two hard tyres after starting on the medium is the quickest way of doing it.

A yellow flag now would give Max Verstappen a free pitstop. At the moment, his decision to get through the second phase of qualifying on the hards is proving to be a great call.

Nico Hulkenberg was very, very briefly second. He's now pitted, but for someone who two weeks ago could never have imagined getting in an F1 car again, these have been a very surreal 10 days for the Hulk.

Image source, Reuters