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Formula 1 Sakhir GP

F1 Sakhir GP Live Updates - final practice and qualifying

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Well, that didn't last long. A great improvement from Sainz on the soft tyres moves him up to third and boots Gasly into the drop zone along with Leclerc, Vettel, Norris and Giovinazzi.
After losing a time earlier, Gasly has now moved back into the top 10 on softs - but is on the bubble...
Stopwatch
And Perez again puts those soft tyres to good use by going fastest on a 53.787s, with Stroll fourth on a 53.840s.
Ricciardo and Ocon are line astern in fifth and sixth places, both using medium tyres. In fact, the only top 10 runners currently on softs are Kvyat and the two Racing Points.
Verstappen has moved into third on a 54.006s, with Kvyat - surely knowing now that his seat at AlphaTauri will be taken next year by today's F2 winner Yuki Tsunoda - ahead of Gasly before the Frenchman's lap was deleted for a track limits violation.
Stopwatch
And sure enough, Bottas launches to the top on a 53.809s but there's nothing in it between him and Russell, the Brit posting a 53.819s.
Stopwatch
That's quickly beaten by Gasly, who moves to the top on a 54.130s, but the two Mercedes are setting purple sectors...
It's a 54.514s for Sainz, who encounters a wall of traffic in the first sector as cars trickle out of the pits.
He's now joined by Giovinazzi, Gasly and the two Ferraris as the big boys sit in anticipation.
The first to bite is Sainz - who for the time being is alone on track in his McLaren.
It's a tense waiting game at the moment, nobody yet daring to venture out of the garage.
Green flag
And we're green for Q2.
So the answer to our earlier question of 'will we see a shock Q1 exit' turned out to be a resounding 'no'. But could we have a shock participant in Q3? Giovinazzi made it through in a creditable 13th - what has the Italian got in his locker tonight?
Both Mercedes and AlfaTauris used a set of mediums to post banker times at the beginning of the session before returning to softs. Will that strategy help or hinder them later on? We'll find out in Q2 in a couple of minutes...
So it's Bottas who puts in a marker in Q1 by topping the times ahead of Verstappen and Russell, with Norris recovering from the early lap deletion to go fourth ahead of Gasly.
A footnote there - that's the first time Latifi has outqualified a team-mate in his F1 career so far, but there wasn't much in it, again less than a tenth between him and rookie Aitken.
The answer is no - the second Red Bull survives by the skin of his teeth, just less than a tenth ahead of Magnussen, who is joined in the drop zone by Latifi, Aitken, Raikkonen and Fittipaldi.
Latifi has now moved ahead of Aitken, but can either of them do anything about Albon?
Albon has been shuffled down to P15 by the flurry of improvements - might he regret staying in the garage?
Stopwatch
Gasly has redeemed himself on the soft tyre and smashes in the second-fastest time behind Verstappen - but that almost immediately becomes fourth-quickest as the two Mercedes go first and third, Bottas ahead of Russell on a 53.904s.
We missed it amid the flurry of activity, but Sainz has vaulted up to fourth in the McLaren - he's one of only six cars still in the garage at the moment currently, along with Verstappen, Perez, Ricciardo, Stroll and Albon.
After that last run, everybody headed for the pits to take stock - but we've had a few early takers coming out for their final flyers, with both Mercedes and Raikkonen among them.
Just over 5 minutes in the session to go, and Aitken is currently on the bubble in P15 - can he escape Q1 on his F1 debut?
Information
Currently the drop zone order is as follows:

16 Latifi
17 Gasly
18 Raikkonen
19 Giovinazzi
20 Fittipaldi
It's a strong effort too from Daniel Ricciardo in the Renault - he's popped up in third. Team-mate Esteban Ocon is down in P13 so will be a little wary of those behind.
Stopwatch
Verstappen now lowers the benchmark time further - the FP3 pace-setter manages a 54.037s flyer, while team-mate Alex Albon goes sixth.
Gasly and Kvyat appear to be the only two others to be using mediums - will they have to go again we wonder? Gasly has now been shuffled down to P14...
Norris becomes the first man to have a time deleted for track limits at Turn 8. We may see a fair few of those today.
Stopwatch
Both Mercedes it should be noted were on the medium tyres for that run - Racing Point though have gone with the soft tyres, and it rewards Perez with P1, and Stroll P3. A 54.267s is the best effort yet from the Mexican.
But Kvyat's grip on the top spot doesn't last long as Mercedes go 1-2. Bottas lowers the benchmark further with a 54.607s, Russell a 54.777s.
Stopwatch
And now Leclerc's time is beaten - we promised you things would change thick and fast - as Kvyat goes top on a 54.785s.
Stopwatch
Gasly sure enough goes top, a 55.311 - but it's immediately beaten by Charles Leclerc, who is the first man into the 54s bracket on a 54.917s.
Gasly is out too in the AlphaTauri and currently setting purple sector times.
As expected, Sainz goes quickest on a 55.334s, as Raikkonen moves into third behind Magnussen.
After that early flurry from the Haas and Williams teams on a relatively clear track, several more cars are joining the party. Here comes Raikkonen and Sainz.
It's a 55.464s for Magnussen, with Aitken lapping quicker than Latifi in their first runs - both ahead of Fittipaldi.
Stopwatch
Pietro Fittipaldi is the first man to set a flying lap, and but it's quickly beaten by Haas team-mate Kevin Magnussen.
Green flag
And we're underway. A busy track already as both Haas and both Williams cars spill out of the pits.

By: Jake Boxall-Legge

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