However, Piastri is not the only driver to watch as qualifying begins. Mercedes driver George Russell was just 0.039 seconds off Piastri’s pace, and Max Verstappen was just 0.081 seconds behind in third.

It looks like the race-car driver trailblazer may no longer be a major part of Formula 1's most prominent coverage team, after also losing her Netflix gig.

Rosanna Tennant and the BBC F1 team look at the title credentials of the top three British drivers.