F1 Bahrain GP in Malaysia: Follow the race at Sepang with live timing

So the entire field have pitted during the SC phase, even those who started on slicks. Given how far they were behind, the safety car has actually helped them out.

Safety car will be out for a while yet because Hamilton, Norris, Leclerc, Alonso, Gasly, Bearman and Colapinto are some way behind the pack after their pitstops.

Hadjar and Bortoleto on scrubbed softs.

Norris and Alonso also on hards now.

Lawson, Lindblad, Piastri and Stroll have gone onto the hard-compound Pirellis. Brave...

Norris, Alonso, Gasly and Colapinto also changing to a different slick compound. And why not? The safety car enables them to do it cheaply.

Yes, everyone still on inters is coming in for slicks. Antonelli leads Verstappen and Russell out of the pits - both Mercs on mediums, the Red Bull on softs.

Hulkenberg has decided it's slicks o'clock already and pits at the end of lap 8.

And Antonelli goes wide at the final corner as lap 8 concludes. Verstappen makes a lunge along the back straight but can't get by.

Antonelli did a 1m52s on lap 7, which was slower than last time around, while Norris did a 1m55s, which was quicker.

Russell says the track isn't drying up, which is "weird". Yes it is - this track does tend to dry out very quickly once rain abates.

Collision between Hulkenberg and Leclerc on lap one under investigation. Replay shows Charles clipping the Audi's rear at Turn 2.

On lap 6, Antonelli was 8s quicker than Norris. It was 10s last time, so inters still the right tyre for the conditions. Leclerc has already passed Hamilton and is P17.

And, yes, Hadjar gets him at the final corner.

Hadjar now in close attendance to Lawson's rear wing.

But Norris, still leader of the slick runners, is a full minute behind the leader.

Looks like Russell's tyres are giving up already as Verstappen slides by on lap 6.

Antonelli now 1.8s ahead of Russell as we start lap 6.

But Lewis says "nuts to that" and stays out. The window for slicks is coming...

Hamilton now told to pit for inters at the end of lap 4.

Verstappen is able to stay with the Mercedes in these opening laps - just over a second behind Russell.

Nose change for Leclerc, so that has compounded the woe.

Lap 4 and Lawson mugs Hadjar for P4.

Leclerc pits for inters. Too late!

There''s now a massive gap to the slick runners. Norris leads the train, 8s behind Sergio Perez.

The highest slick runners are now Hamilton and Leclerc, but they're falling off faster than John Lithgow at the end of Cliffhanger.

Hamilton now P15.

Readers of a certain age will recall Mike Reid's 'Runaround' show, and there are shades of that as teams look at one another is doing and begin to doubt themselves.

Piastri has been told to pit - he's getting inters. How will the conspiracy theorists process this?

Bortoleto in too.

Gasly currently showing as P13 after that off on the initial formation lap.

Those on slicks will be hoping the track dries out very quickly - and that they can stay on it until it does!

Norris also requesting to get off the slicks but has been told to stay out.

Race control says it will be a standing start.

Perez pitting to get off the slicks.

Verstappen, Antonelli, Russell, Hadjar, Lawson, Sainz, Ocon, Albon and Lindblad on the intermediates.

We go for a second formation lap behind the safety car.

Hulkenberg, Bearman, Bottas, Perez and Colapinto on softs as well.

Gasly is off at Turn 6! He rejoins.

The Aston Martins on mediums too.

Gasly and Bortoleto on softs too.