F1 Italian GP live commentary and updates – race

Gasly passes Colapinto, who is starting to struggle on his mediums and has just had an off at Turn 1.

Sainz pits at the end of lap 31; it's a long-ish stop, looks like he overshot the box.

F1 TV slo-mo shows Verstappen's front-left medium looking uglier than a kebab shop fist fight.

Antonelli has been shown the B/W flag for track limits – next time over the white line and he'll get more than a slapped wrist.

Russell set the fastest lap of the race on lap 29 – so much for the hards not being quick enough, you might say, but he's only three tenths faster than Norris was on the same lap.

Antonelli pits at the end of lap 29 – and emerges ahead of Bortoleto, largely courtesy of those laps the Sauber was stuck behind Lawson.

Looks like Tsunoda had a little knock with Lawson as he tried to get by. Always the same guy, eh?

Norris is sounded out about "continuing until we can fit a soft".

This is very much in line with what Pirelli suggested yesterday evening.

Piastri is told "Considering Plan A plus 15 if possible".

Could this be because the early stoppers haven't been any great shakes on those hards? Possibly. Bortoleto is in the late 23s.

Bearman and Tsunoda have made their way past Lawson.

Russell pits for hards at the end of lap 27.

We're on lap 27 and Albon is already 1.2s ahead of Sainz, which kind of vindicates that decision.

Bortoleto makes it past Lawson, which will be good for his race.

Meanwhile Carlso Sainz is told "instruction this lap" (26) which means letting team-mate Alex Albon through for P8. He begs, he pleads, but lets Albon through.

Alonso pulls into the pits with rear suspension failure. "Unbelievable," he harrumphs.

Antonelli (P7) should be OK but everyone behind him is at risk of emerging into that clump of traffic behind Lawson.

This is fascinating – Lawson's early pace on those hards has made it very difficult for the back end of the top 10 and below.

Next time around, Bortoleto and Alonso pit together. Alonso locks his wheels to be right on Bortoleto's tail as they reach the speed limit line.

Aston's crew works quicker and Alonso leaves the pitlane ahead.

To compound Bortoleto's misery, he filters out behind Lawson.

End of lap 19 and the Red Bull crew scrambles - Tsunoda in! 

Oh dear, he exits just ahead of Bearman but then loses the position into the second chicane.

Gianpiero Lambiase channelling Ashford and Simpson as he informs Max Verstappen his race is "solid".

End of lap 18 and Bearman is into the pits to get off his mediums. That's quite early. He slots in just behind Liam Lawson's Racing Bulls so that has most definitely screwed Bearman's race unless he can get by quickly.

Carlos Sainz has been pinged for not taking the proper escape lane after he snatched the brakes into the second chicane.

That last lap (17) was less tidy than it could have been for Leclerc – he dipped into the gravel at the exit of the second Lesmo. But he's still 1.5s up on Russell.

Further back, Antonelli snatches P9 from Tsunoda at Turn 1.

We start lap 17 and Verstappen sets a new fastest lap of the race.

Another personal best gets Leclerc out of DRS range from Russell.

Hamilton is creeping up on that battle between his team-mate and Russell, at 3-4 tenths per lap.

Lap 16 and Leclerc has just done his quickest tour of the race as he tries to stay ahead of Russell.

Verstappen still pulling away from Norris at 3-4 tenths per second.

We are hearing Hulkenberg's issue was a hydraulic one, which was flagged when the car was fired up on the grid.

Lap 14 and the gap from Verstappen to Norris is now 3.8s, with Piastri +5.431s.

Fans look on during the pre-race ceremony.

Photo by: Clive Rose / Getty Images

Behind Hamilton (to the tune of 2.6s) is Bortoleto in P7, who heads a DRS train running all the way to Stroll in P15.

It gets fragmented behind that, with Colapinto and Hadjar 2.7s off Stroll, then 2s to Gasly and 18s to Lawson.

Lawson currently closing on on Gasly at 1s per lap – he pitted on lap 10 to get off the softs and is now on hards.

As you can tell, we've rebooted our timing and scoring system...

Norris currently 3s behind Verstappen as we begin lap 10, Piastri 4.4s further adrift. Leclerc is 2.2s behind Piastri with Russell in close attendance, then a 1.3s gap to Hamilton.

Esteban Ocon has been given a five-second penalty for 'forcing another driver off track' - it was Lance Stroll whom he forced into the run-off at the second chicane.

Isack Hadjar tries to pass Franco Colapinto around the outside into Turn 1 but it doesn't come off and he has to take to the escape lane.

Lewis Hamilton now up to P6 after a neat move on Gabriel Bortoleto at Turn 1 at the beginning of lap seven.

Meanwhile our timing screen is stuck at the end of lap four, which is as useful as you might expect.

As we start lap six, Piastri sends it around the outside of Leclerc into Turn 1... it's close! But Oscar secures P3.

F1 TV replay shows Verstappen arguing against the instruction to let Norris past on that opening lap. "He let the brakes go mate, on purpose."

Meanwhile Kimi Antonelli had a stinker of an opening lap in his Mercedes, losing four places. He's currently P10.

Lewis Hamilton – who lost five grid places to a penalty – slips by Fernando Alonso for P7 at Turn 1 at the beginning of Lap 5.

As we come to the end of lap three Verstappen is right with Norris... and he's past into Turn 1 as lap four begins.

Lap one ends and Max Verstappen grudgingly moves over to allow Lando Norris past. This sort of move has to be judged carefully – you're not allowed to be too naughty in attacking for position again (remember Spa 2008).

Oscar Piastri got Charles Leclerc for P3 at the Lesmos on lap one but Charles takes advantage of the switch up front to mug Piastri for P3 into Turn 1.

THE RUBBER IS REVEALED

Liam Lawson (P18) the only driver to start on softs. Albon, Ocon and Stroll on hards, as are the pitlane starters. Everyone else starting on mediums.

Stroll's hards are showing as 'used' on the timing and scoring system because he scrubbed them during practice on Friday.

PITLANE STARTERS

Don't forget that both Pierre Gasly and Isack Hadjar are starting from the pitlane today since they have taken the opportunity to fit new power unit components.

Pierre Gasly, Alpine

Photo by: Philippe Lopez / AFP / Getty Images

Pirelli's pre-race prognostication document – not always accurate – suggests one-stoppers starting on mediums will stop between laps 22 and 28, while the hard pit window opens on lap 28.

Those hoping to do a final stint on softs will be keeping their powder dry until the lap count enters the 30s...

In other news, who knew Sauber CEO Mattia Binotto was a massage expert? Or is he just massaging Nico Hulkenberg's ego in this shot?

Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber

Photo by: Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images

Anyway, back to race strategies. It's looking like a long first stint on hards or mediums, with the possibility that softs could come into the equation at the end of a long stint – probably only for those starting towards the back.

For Max Verstappen it's going to be important not just to nail the start, but also the first lap, because if you compromise yourself in defence at Turn 1 you remain compromised all the way to the second chicane – which is where Max Piastri controversially usurped team-mate Lando Norris for the lead last year.