Summary

  • World champion Max Verstappen on pole position for first race of 2023

  • Second Red Bull of Sergio Perez in P2, Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz P3 & P4

  • Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso P5 despite topping two practice sessions

  • George Russell P6, Lewis Hamilton P7, Lance Stroll P8, Esteban Ocon P9, Nico Hulkenberg P10

  • Eliminated in Q2: Norris, Bottas, Zhou, Tsunoda, Albon

  • Eliminated in Q1: Sargeant, Magnussen, Piastri, De Vries, Gasly

  • Get involved via #bbcf1

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

Live Reporting

Lorraine McKenna

  1. Top dog Carlos Sainz has decided to stay in the Ferrari garage.

  2. The queue of cars is flying out the traps again. Fernando Alonso is among them.

  3. Sam Bird
    Formula E driver on BBC Radio 5 Live

    Lance Stroll has got to be careful, he has to do a tidy lap, to get into Q2. He should have plenty in the pocket because that Aston Martin is flying.

  4. Five minutes to go

    Both McLarens are stuck in the mud in Q1. Can Norris and Piastri climb out of danger?

  5. Jack Nicholls
    BBC Radio 5 Live F1 commentator

    If the session finishes like this, I will never listen to a Formula 1 journalist again!

  6. Lance Stroll finds himself rock bottom of the pile but the Canadian was right up there with his Aston Martin team-mate Alonso before having his lap time deleted.

  7. Elimination zone

    16. Nico Hulkenberg (Haas)

    17. Lando Norris (McLaren)

    18. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)

    19. Logan Sargeant (Williams)

    20. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)

  8. Jack Nicholls
    BBC Radio 5 Live F1 commentator

    The fight is going to be to make it into the Top 15, but you just can't resist looking at the Alonso and Verstappen times, can you?

  9. Forget everything I have just written.

    Charles Leclerc, Fernando Alonso and George Russell all push the world champion down the order before the Ferrari of Carlos Sainz finally clocks the fastest marker of Q1 with a 1:30.993 on the soft tyres.

  10. Max Verstappen is purple in the opening sector as the Red Bull has to try and beat the Alfa Romeo of Zhou Guanyu at the top of the timesheets. The Dutchman goes quickest with a 1:31.295.

  11. Rosanna Tennant
    5 Live F1 reporter

    Interesting call from Ferrari to go for the mediums - they have gone out on the softs now.

  12. Only 11 minutes left on the clock to book your place in Q2. Nyck de Vries, Yuki Tsunoda and Charles Leclerc are three drivers with a time on the board.

  13. Go! Go! Go!

    Q1 goes green once again. The queue of cars is long.

  14. Andrew Benson
    BBC Sport’s chief F1 writer

    The FIA says the red flag is to recover several pieces of debris at different points on the track.

  15. Get Involved

    #bbcf1

    Andrew: Forget all of the talk of engine modes, race runs, tyre testing and sandbagging that we’ve heard and seen for the past 10 days… Now is the time for 10 teams and 20 drivers to go for broke and show us all exactly what they’ve really got in their 2023 cars.

  16. Session will resume at 15:12 GMT

  17. red flag

    Red flag

    Before the red flag was waved, Carlos Sainz took a big chunk of kerb in his Ferrari. The Spaniard was straight on the radio to tell his crew to check the right part of the car.

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  19. 'Aston Martin genuine front-running contenders'

    Andrew Benson
    BBC Sport’s chief F1 writer

    I have spent most of the weekend asking people is this real? Is Aston Martin really in front and everybody has said yes. Red Bull are still the favourites but they have been struggling to find balance in the car.

    On the evidence we've seen so far, the Aston Martin with Alonso in it are genuine front-running contenders, and the whole paddock is absolutely thrilled about it.

  20. red flag

    Red flag

    Charles Leclerc's debris - a piece of the wheel arch say his Ferrari pit wall - needs to be cleared.