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Formula 1 Portuguese GP

F1 Portuguese GP Live Commentary and Updates - FP3 & Qualifying

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF21

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And nor will Alonso - he goes P12, just ahead of Tsunoda, on a 1m19.456s.
Well, Tsunoda isn't going to make Q3 as the rookie posts a 1m19.463s, that's not enough to make the cut.
Now Gasly improves to P8, putting Sainz back on the bubble in P10. Could Alonso deny his compatriot a place in the top 10?
Verstappen and Perez not comfortable either, both Red Bulls also come out on the softs.
Giovinazzi also improves to a 1m19.383s, but it's not enough to dislodge Gasly's grip on P10, the Alfa driver moving into P11.
Sainz improves, but it's only enough for P9 with a 1m19.142s.
The aforementioned trio have all gone out with softs on, Verstappen and Perez continue to play the waiting game meanwhile.
With four minutes to go, Norris and the two Mercedes are out too.
The two Ferraris and Alfas are out early to start their second runs - Leclerc clearly doesn't feel especially safe in P8.
Russell, on the mediums, is the first man outside the top 10 in P11, with Tsunoda (soft), then Sainz, Giovinazzi and Raikkonen also left on the outside looking in with around six minutes remaining.
Behind the Dutchman, Perez is apparently showing no signs of his confidence being knocked by that Q1 spin in sixth, with Vettel, Leclerc, Gasly and Alonso completing the top 10 at the moment.
Verstappen improves to a 1m18.650s, but it's only enough for fifth behind the soft-shod Norris and Ocon.
Norris only a tenth slower than Bottas on the soft - both over half a second quicker than Verstappen, currently languishing down in seventh.
Bottas slots into second with a 1m18.458s, just ahead of Norris, Ocon and Perez.
Well, now there's a statement lap from Hamilton who clocks a 1m17.968s on the medium - comfortably quicker than Bottas managed on the soft in Q1.
Now here come the big guns as Verstappen nails a 1m19.099s on the mediums for Red Bull.
The first meaningful time is set by Sainz, who sets a 1m19.560s, but it's immediately beaten by Ferrari team-mate Leclerc on a 1m19.434s.
Norris, who bolted on mediums for a banker in Q1, is one of the outliers on softs along with Gasly and Tsunoda.
In contrast to Q1, the majority of runners here appear to be using the medium tyre - with a view to a longer first stint in the race tomorrow.
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Q2 is underway, "lots of traffic" reports Hamilton over the radio.
They will be joined in Q2 by Verstappen, Tsunoda, Alonso, Raikkonen and Russell in the race to determine who will make it into the top 10 Q3 shootout.
Here's a quick rundown of the Q1 order:

1. Bottas
2. Norris
3. Hamilton
4. Ocon
5. Sainz
6. Perez
7. Leclerc
8. Vettel
9. Giovinazzi
10. Gasly
Latifi and the Haas drivers, Schumacher and Mazepin, complete the unhappy quintet that will progress no further. But who had Ricciardo on their card in Q1 bingo?
Russell holds in P15 as a late improvement from Ocon dumps Ricciardo out in Q1 for the first time in his McLaren career, while Stroll also misses the cut in P17.
Shocker for Ricciardo, he's knocked out!
The checkered flag is out, what have we got?
Bottas improves to take top spot back from Norris with a 1m18.722s, while Hamilton moves up to third on a 1m18.857s.
Russell jumps up to 14th, demoting Stroll into the drop zone. But will it be enough for the Williams driver?
In the drop zone currently we have Latifi, Tsunoda, Schumacher, Russell and Mazepin - can any of the quintet get themselves out of trouble with a Houdini-like escape?
Does Hamilton feel safe? No is the answer, as he and Bottas both elect to come out for another go. After McLaren's earlier experiment with the medium tyre, everyone out on track currently is on the softs.
Times though are beginning to tumble - Vettel shoots up to fourth in the Aston on a 1m19.403, before Norris takes top spot away from Bottas with a 1m18.794s.
All of the top 6 - rounded out by Alonso, despite that spin - are currently in the pits, so it's seventh-placed man Giovinazzi who is currently the highest ranking driver out on track in the Alfa Romeo, seeking to avoid being eliminated in Q1 for the second year in a row in Portugal.
Replays show a heart-in-mouth moment for the Mexican as the rear-end of his RB16B got away from him and he ended up backwards - fortunately without hitting anything amid the wide expanses of run-off in Portugal.
Remember the first lap of the race last year, when Perez and Verstappen tangled at Turn 4 to leave the then-Racing Point man facing the wrong way? Well, Perez has now explored the outside of that corner instead, finding the gravel before dragging his car out again.
It's a 1m19.493s for Hamilton - will that be enough for him to not need another run later in the session?
Perez meanwhile has quietly slotted into third, ahead of Verstappen, while Hamilton posts a time good enough for fifth after his earlier P1 time was deleted.
Ah, the timing screens give us the answer - Alonso spun down at Turn 14.
We briefly had a yellow flag in sector 16, but that's now been withdrawn - not sure what the cause of that was.

By: Megan White, Haydn Cobb, James Newbold, Tom Howard

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