Willem Mevius: Red Bull telling Verstappen to stay back from Ocon makes no sense at all. I get that they want him to preserve his tyres, but this is a race. He thinks he has a chance of an overtake and I agree. Also, a Safety Car would change anything.

Harry Benjamin
BBC F1 Commentator

Red Bull are still not happy with this car, struggling with tyre temperature and general grip in both.

Max Verstappen is having an exchange over the team radio with his engineer apparently. Haven't heard it yet but it sounds like the pair are not holding back.

Fastest lap is now with polesitter Carlos Sainz. Where is Sergio Perez? He's still stuck down in 13th place on his 250th grand prix.

Image source, Getty Images

Alice Powell
British racing driver on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

Ferrari just need to be careful and not try to be too clever as actually we are now seeing George Russell, that gap between him and Charles Leclerc now is going to be under one second very soon, and that means he will be within DRS reach.

The fastest lap stopwatch is parked at Charles Leclerc's name on the timing tower as his team-mate Carlos Sainz maintains a two-second advantage ahead of him.

Charles Leclerc is concerned on the team radio about being backed up too much to George Russell in third place. The gap currently between the Ferrari and Mercedes drivers is 1.4 seconds.

One Haas of Kevin Magnussen is still running in the top 10, the other car of Nico Hulkenberg is just outside the points in 11th spot.

Max Verstappen has been unable to create an opportunity to pass the Alpine of Esteban Ocon just yet, so the Dutchman is trundling along in eighth place.

Has Charles Leclerc spotted something with his team-mate? He's on the radio to say Sainz is slowing down. His engineer replies, "Copy. Understood."

Carlos Sainz is on the medium tyres, Leclerc is a red compound starter.

In response to Sainz radio message, Mercedes engineers tell Russell: "It's looking like they are going to sacrifice Leclerc."

The gap Carlos Sainz holds over his team-mate Charles Leclerc is 1.3 seconds. The Mercedes of George Russell is a further three seconds adrift of the Spaniard and Lando Norris in four seconds down the road.

Andrew Benson
BBC Sport’s chief F1 writer

If I know Fernando Alonso I think what he's doing at the moment is his usual race, he tends to sit about two and a half seconds to the car in front of him in the first stint and assuming he's got the pace, he will close up as the pit-stop window approaches. I suspect that is what's probably going on as we can see from the lap times, he's exactly two and a half seconds behind Hamilton.

"I could go forever at this pace."

Carlos Sainz is embracing the clear air in front of his Ferrari and the Spaniard is confident on the team radio he is just breezing along at this current speed.

Image source, Getty Images

Charles Leclerc is being given information by his engineer, not in regards to the pair fighting it out on track for the lead, but just general advice on keeping things neat and tidy.

But Esteban Ocon and Fernando Alonso need to have a quick peek in their mirrors, as the Red Bull of Max Verstappen in eighth is creeping slowly up behind the Alpine and Aston Martin drivers.

Andrew Benson
BBC Sport’s chief F1 writer

For Verstappen and Red Bull on those hard tyres the plan will be to stay out while everyone the on medium and soft in front of him stops. The question then becomes if he does do that, depending on how the race plays out, how much time can you gain by staying out? I think all the teams will be looking at that now and thinking how can they stop that happening.

Fernando Alonso has also gained a place and is running in sixth place in the single Aston Martin. Birthday boy Esteban Ocon also finds himself better off than where he started in seventh spot.

Zhou Guanyu made a very eary pit stop to switch the soft tyre for the hard compound but no-one else is making their way into the pits to change just yet. He's just clocked the fastest lap, too.

Ferrari are holding firm as the top two drivers on track as George Russell, Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton chase the Scuderia down in third, fourth and fifth.

Alice Powell
British racing driver on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

I am amazed really on whether Lewis needed to give that place back to Norris. I think Lewis had got the car stopped, he just felt that George pushed him wide, but I don't think George could have done. But he could have stayed there really and possibly stayed ahead of Norris.

Liam Lawson's time in the top 10 didn't last long and the Alpha Tauri rookie finds himself in 12th place now.

Move complete by Max Verstappen. The Red Bull smoothly passes the Haas and Kevin Magnussen has to shift down to ninth.