The McLaren driver surprisingly shot to the top of the timesheets during the soft tyre qualifying simulation runs, outpacing two-time world champion Verst💮appen’s Red B🙈ull by just 0.023s. 

Alex Albon’ꦆs Williams was third-quickest with an impressive lap, with Lewis Hamilton fourth in his Mercedes, three-tenths shy of Norris.&🌠nbsp;

Verstappen - w𓄧ho is bidding 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 b൲y an early red flag for a bizarre incident that saw Piastri and Ricciardo join each other in the barriers at the top of the dramatically-banked Turn 3. 

Piastri lost control of his barriers and s🅘mashed into the barriers, before the seemingly-unsighted Ricciardo crashed moments later. 

Worryingly, the returning Australian appeared to suggest that he h🦩ad hurt his hand in the incident over team radio. 

Ricciardoඣ’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 top-10 as both Ferrari drivers and Merc💛edes’ George Russell once again failed to feature.