1, Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) - 1:08.610

2. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +0.05s

3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +0.168s

4. Fernando Alonso (Alpine) +0.222s

5. Esteban Ocon (Alpine) +0.238s

Good session for Alpine so far. Fernando Alonso is fourth, team-mate Esteban Ocon is fifth.

Sebastian Vettel, in his bee race helmet, needs his Aston Martin engineer to get eyes on his car. "Check exit of Turn 10, I might have lost a piece," reports the four-time world champion.

The Ferrari boys are continuing their soft-tyre runs and are yet to be shifted from the upper part of the leaderboard, with Carlos Sainz still quickest man on track and Charles Leclerc second.

Leclerc does experience a slight wobble in his Scuderia, but the 24-year-old isn't troubled too much by his slip and he carries on to complete another lap.

So, Lewis Hamilton has finally emerged from the Silver Arrow garage to bank some precious time in the car before the 24-lap race this afternoon. The seven-time world champion has medium tyres on the go, and hits a 1:09.350 to slip into ninth on the board.

The two Alpines are keeping Sergio Perez away from the top four at the moment. The Mexican driver has been dropped to 13th for the sprint later on but for now, he's running in P6 in his Red Bull.

Noise from the Mercedes garage. Here comes Lewis Hamilton to put the work in and the rubber down with 13 minutes of the session left.

Last weekend race winner and pole position man Carlos Sainz has pulled out a 1:08.610 on the soft tyres to push team-mate Charles Leclerc down into second and take his place at the top of the board.

The gap between the Ferrari pair is just 0.05secs.

1. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) - 1:08.660

2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

3. Fernando Alonso (Alpine)

4. Esteban Ocon (Alpine)

5, Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)

Yellow medium tyres for both the Alpine drivers but Charles Leclerc has strapped on a set of red soft boots. They serve the Monegasque man well, as he quickly leaps to the top of the board with a 1:08.660. Max Verstappen is behind in his Red Bull, just 0.139secs off the pace of his rival in second.

Can the other Alpine of Esteban Ocon have a rummage around his car and find a few tenths of his own? He can. The Frenchman finds two of them to jump Alonso to move up to second on the timing sheets and push Fernando down into third.

Pace has been shown from an Alpine once again during a practice session as Fernando Alonso goes second fastest on the medium tyres with a 1:09.081.

George Russell starts fourth on the grid for today's sprint race but at the moment, the Mercedes driver is having a few difficulties with his W13. "Just no grip," reports Russell. "Sliding around a lot."

Fernando Alonso is next of the late runners to pop up with a time. The two-time world champion goes three tenths quicker than his younger team-mate Ocon and slots into fourth on the timing tower.

Alex Albon, who welcomed even more cats into the Albon family pet group after the British Grand Prix, is up into the top in his Williams with a 1:09.975. Esteban Ocon. meanwhile, leaves the comfort of the Alpine garage and slips in sixth spot with a 1:09.721 on the soft tyres.

No sign of Lewis Hamilton yet, plus the Alpine chaps are yet to make a play for some second-practice running.