F1 Chinese Grand Prix LIVE: Qualifying start time and updates in Shanghai as Max Verstappen wins sprint race

The risk of rain is believed to be low, but apparently the radar is showing there is some weather around, although not likely to affect Q1

And the teams are out on track and Q1 is underway!

Almost every team is queued up in the pit lane ready to go, a lot of teams, if not most of them have changed their set up for qualifying, so they will want the most amount of time to test it.

Apparently there also could be rain affecting some of the later sessions.

Qualifying will get underway in just under five minutes.

Esteban Ocon has a new floor and a lighter chassis than his teammate Pierre Gasly, and he will be expected to deliver this weekend in China.

Fernando Alonso has been found at fault for the clash with Carlos Sainz and he has been given a 10-second time penalty for the sprint race, which he finished last in any way.

He has also picked up three penalty points, which Aston Martin believe was harsh.

McLaren are working hard on Oscar Piastri’s car, and a lot of work is going on with the car, the gearbox was out earlier, and just 10 minutes away from qualifying it is lifted with a team of people working on it while the front wing sits at the front of the garage, unattached to the rest of the car.

The laser scan is out on Charles Leclerc’s car, which means they have changed the set up for this qualifying, so clearly the Ferrari garage have seen something they’re not happy with and made the snap decision to change ahead of Q3, which should get under way in just over 10 minutes.

Now time for a closer look at the circuit, 5.4km and 16 corners will be what drivers have to contend with in the Chinese Grand Prix.

Max Verstappen will undoubtedly be favourite going into qualifying, but it was Lando Norris who started the sprint race earlier in pole position, although his wide line caused him to slip down the places quite quickly.

Alonso and Sainz even banged wheels through the seventh corner with Perez able to sneak ahead of the duelling duo. Charles Leclerc followed through, too, as Alonso lost three places in one lap before diving into the pits with a front-right puncture. He later retired the car.

Sainz then appeared to force team-mate Leclerc off the road as they battled for fourth position in the closing stages.

“What the f***,” yelled Leclerc who managed to pass his team-mate a few corners later to finished fourth. Sainz crossed the line in fifth with Norris sixth.