F1 Imola GP live commentary and updates - race

F1 TV now broadcasting the footage from the 'green room'. Piastri alone and in silent repose, pondering the replay of the race start. Verstappen and Norris arrive and the demi-debrief begins. Meanwhile, the champagne awaits.

And that's where we'll leave it for this weekend. Join us again for the Monaco Grand Prix, from that sunny place for shady people...

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images via Getty Images

Piastri is a cool customer but today he does look like someone who has lost a £50 note and then found a pound coin down the back of the sofa. Well, perhaps we're exaggerating a tad - this is Oscar after all. He looks more like someone who has opened his inbox to find the eighth LinkedIn email of the day.

In contrast Norris appears moderately happy after a hard day at the office.

What a race by Max Verstappen. Most of the hard work done through the first two corners, but he took advantage of Oscar Piastri braking too early (as Oscar has just admitted to David Coulthard, who is interviewing him in parc ferme) and didn't look back. He benefitted from the VSC, of course, but all that did was increase an advantage he'd already built.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Oscar Piastri, McLaren

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

The FIA president is hanging around by the scales as the drivers come for the post-race weigh-in. 'Twas ever thus.

Lewis Hamilton taking his time to acknowledge the crowd on his slow-down lap. This is his first time racing a Ferrari in front of the home crowd and he knows the significance of the moment.

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images via Getty Images

"It's been a good start [to the season] but not quick enough today," says Norris on the radio.

"This is a [EXPLETIVE DELETED] joke" says Leclerc, who has been told to give the position back to Albon. The matter has been escalated to the stewards.

Leclerc has let Hamilton by for P4 and is now struggling to keep Albon behind him as the penultimate lap comes to an end.

Verstappen and Norris both doing 18.4s. The battle for the lead looks like it's going nowhere as we enter the penultimate lap.

At the beginning of lap 60 Albon makes a lunge around the outside of Leclerc at Tamburello. He goes over the gravel and loses a place to Hamilton.

Tough one to call - it looks as if Leclerc escorted him wide and over the kerb. Race control concurs: 'NOTED'

Verstappen does an 18, Norris an 18.4. The gap is now 5.8s.

Leclerc holding on well after all that moaning. The gentleman doth protest too much? He's still P4 with Albon dancing in his mirrors.

Verstappen now 4.1s ahead of Piastri. Norris takes the outside line into Tamburello at the beginning of lap 58 - Piastri leaves just enough space. Nervous moments on the McLaren pitwall.

Hamilton sweeps around the outside of former teammate Russell into Tamburello at the beginning of lap 57.

Lawson has done Stroll for P14.

Norris really harrying Piastri now, 0.5s behind - but Verstappen is 2.7s clear up front. Big decision to be made on the McLaren pitwall.

The question now is whether Albon will make his tyre offset work against Leclerc, and Hamilton on Russell? That's the battle for P4 and P6.

Tsunoda enters the top 10 by dint of passing Hulkenberg - had a look into Piratella and Hulkenberg ran wide, conceding the position.

Russell and Sainz on 23-lap-old tyres...

Alonso and Stroll now on another of the medium sets they used in qualifying. How's that going to work out?

20 laps to go and the Safety Car period is ending.

Hamilton complaining about the length of time the Safety Car deployment is taking.

Lap 52 and lapped cars are now being allowed to overtake the Safety Car.

So we are Verstappen, Piastri, Norris, Leclerc, Albon, Russell, Hamilton, Sainz, Hadjar and Hulkenberg in the top 10. Expect Leclerc to fall off faster than John Lithgow at the end of Cliffhanger when this race goes green...

F1 TV caption refers to the first Safety Car deployment being at the 1973 Canadian GP. Not an auspicious debut!

Lap 50 and Antonelli's car is only just being wheeled behind the barrier.

Verstappen's tyres are new so it's still 'advantage Max'.

"I see Oscar's tyres are pretty dead," says Norris. "I'm not asking to be let through..." Oh yes you are!

Leclerc says he's "not being pessimistic" but "these tyres will be difficult at the restart".

This will be interesting come the restart. Piastri has done 18 laps on those hards but the set Norris just put on has already seen service this weekend...

So, Albon filters out in P5 - behind Verstappen, Piastri, Norris and Leclerc. If Charles is suffering tyre bother then this could be an interesting final few laps.

Replays show Norris had a slow stop since the front-right wheel was tardy to disengage.

Alonso, Stroll, Colapinto and Bortoleto also break for the pits. Albon also in.

"It's going to be torture," harrumphs Alonso over the radio. "I'm the unluckiest driver in the [EXPLETIVE DELETED] world..."

He and Stroll are now P13 and P14, but lapping in the late 21s. Gasly now closing in on the pair, having been let past by Colapinto.

Interesting that while Hulkenberg is clearly enjoying life on the medium tyre, having started on hard, Hamilton and Antonelli - who also started on the hard - are starting to look as if they might be going into management mode.

Sainz passes Hulkenberg for P10 so it was just a cameo appearance in the points-paying positions for the Hulk.

Piastri fastest on track again. a 19.398 last time out. But he's 13.4s behind his teammate, who is 18s behind Verstappen.

Data screen indicates Albon has been 'NOTED' for a yellow-flag infringement. Piastri breezes past under DRS on the main straight at the beginning of lap 40.

But bad news doesn't come in pairs - no further action on the supposed yellow-flag infringement.

Hulkenberg past Alonso around the outside into the Villeneuve chicane. P10 in Sauber's 600th race.

Alex Albon is not long for P3 it seems - Piastri closes to within DRS range at the end of lap 38.