The McLaren driver surprisingly shot to the top of the timesheets during the soft t𓆉yre qualifying simulation runs, outpacing two-time woꦉrld champion Verstappen’s Red Bull by just 0.023s. 

Alex Albon’s Williams wasꦉ third-quickest with an impressive lap,🌌 with Lewis Hamilton fourth in his Mercedes, three-tenths shy of Norris. 

Verstappen - who is biddin♋g for a record-equalling ninth consecutive victory this weekend - had a near-miss with Nico Hulkenberg early in the session, with the Haas driver appearing to impede the reigning world champion. 

The session was interrupted by an early red flag for a bizarre incident that saw Piastri and Ricciardo join ea🙈ch other in the barriers at the top of the dramatically-banked Tur🌠n 3. 

Piastri📖 lost control of his barriers and smashed into the barriers,ꦚ before the seemingly-unsighted Ricciardo crashed moments later. 

Worryingly, the retuಞrning Australian appeared to suggest that he had hurt hi꧒s hand in the incident over team radio. 

Ricciardo’s AlphaTauri teammate Yuki Tsunoda was🌸 fifth, ahead of Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, Sergio Perez’s Red Bull and Lance Stroll, driving his heavily-upgraded Aston Martin. 

Valtteri Bottas (Alfa Romeo) and Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) completed the to𒐪p-10 as both Ferrari drivers and Mercedes’ George Russell once again failed to feature.