How qualifying for the 2023 F1 Bahrain Grand Prix unfolded

Albon moves up to sixth fastest - tidy lap for the Williams driver.

Actually, everyone is out there except Sainz. 

Sainz is on top with a 1m30.993s. 

All the teams must be predicting some major track improvements.

All cars except Sainz, Russell Verstappen, Perez and Hamilton are on track.

Alonso and Leclerc join the action despite being quite safe.

Hulkenberg, Norris, Piastri, Sargeant and Stroll.

Stroll has his lap deleted for track limits at Turn 13.

A surprise to see Ferrari on top but it's Sainz on top ahead of Russell.

Leclerc, Alonso, Verstappen and Perez complete the top six.

Let's see how it plays out. 

Session will restart in four minutes.

There was some debris at Turn 1.

He locks up into Turn 1 and a piece has flown off his Ferrari. 

Not ideal for Leclerc early on.

It's the two AlphaTauris who take to the track in Q1 first.

As do the two Ferraris.

Intro time...

After scrappy laps for the Red Bulls in FP3, our prediction for qualifying:

1. Verstappen, 2. Perez, 3. Alonso, 4. Leclerc, 5. Hamilton.

Read our FP3 report here...

It has been over 10 years since Alonso last claimed a pole position in F1, with the Spaniard topping qualifying at the 2012 German Grand Prix.

Can he do it again today? 

Full results from final practice...

Leclerc goes fifth, 0.2s off, while Sainz is eighth overall - 0.6s down.

The Mexican sets a 1m32.446s, a tenth shy of Alonso.

Alonso, Verstappen, Hamilton, Russell, Stroll, Piastri, Ocon, Zhou, Norris and Hulkenberg.

Alonso is 0.005s clear of Verstappen. Game on for pole position.