The gap to Norris in fourth to Russell in fifth is up to 12s and that's enough for a pitstop if a safety car was called, as he would be able to get in and out without losing a place. He just needs someone to cause a safety car period, of course. #F1

Well that didn't take long. Bottas has motored up to the back of team-mate Zhou, and now joins the long crocodile snaking around the circuit. Welcome to the traffic jam Valtteri. #F1

Leclerc still leads from Piastri at the start of lap 22. The gap has grown to 1.3s but again that'll be down to tyre management. #F1

Tsunoda in eighth has dropped almost 5s back from Hamilton, and Albon behind is getting impatient. The Williams starts putting him under pressure before then dropping back himself. Cat and mouse game this. #F1

Norris has dropped off the front three by a second or so, perhaps to cool his tyres, given he is running last in this four-car train at the front. #F1

Bottas backs up that point by setting the fastest lap of the race to this point. A 1m16.561s, it's over two seconds quicker than anyone else has done so far. #F1

There's a queue of cars forming behind Alonso in P12. He's on the medium tyres trying to take things easy, but has Ricciardo, Sargeant and Zhou hard on his case. Bottas will catch this little bunch fairly quickly as it stands. #F1

18 laps completed and it is as you were at the front. Leclerc is keeping Piastri tucked up very close behind. "Charles is managing I guess? Because that was close with Piastri, one lap he might send it," Sainz comments from his third place vantage point. #F1

It's quite early for Sauber to decide to pull the trigger, but perhaps it wanted to ensure it was the first of those to do so and reap the benefits Bottas can gain from running in clear air. #F1

Bottas does become the first driver to pit on lap 16, dropping from 14th to 16th and last. He rejoins on the hard tyres. #F1

Tsunoda has decided to play the long game with Hamilton it seems. He was over one second slower last time around, opening up the gap between them presumably to cool his tyres somewhat. #F1

The top four are split by under two seconds, but that is largely due to Leclerc managing the pace at the front to look after his tyres. At the start of lap 14 he leads by 0.3s. #F1

Sauber is readying some tyres. Possibly for Bottas, who is circulating 14th on mediums and perhaps wants to get ahead of the game if it does prove that keeping the yellow sidewall tyres alive to the end is impossible. #F1

Russell, to his credit, wants to up his pace but he's told by Mercedes: "At this stage we gain nothing from driving faster," which is never what you want to hear during an F1 race. #F1

"Not entirely sure why Russell is going so slowly. He's just giving them a free pitstop gap eventually. Yeah, keep it there for the moment," Verstappen, in sixth, is told by engineer Gianpiero Lambiase. Russell is 6s off Norris now. #F1

Ordinarily if there is a crossover point where it is faster to take on new tyres, teams will bring their drivers in. Of course, this being Monaco, track position is everything. #F1

The FIA has clarified Ocon's rather odd penalty, his 10-second penalty will be converted into a grid penalty for the next race in Canada. #F1

The big question is whether drivers on the medium (the C4 this weekend) will be able to keep their tyres alive, and how slow they will have to go to do so. Will there come a point on this warm (22.1 °C air temperature) and sunny day where they capitulate? #F1

The Sainz vs Piastri opening lap clash has been reviewed but there will be no further investigation into it. On we go. #F1

Tsunoda has enjoyed a strong weekend to date, and could be one of the big beneficiaries of the red flag. He started on the mediums, so can switch to hards and now run to the end - unlike the three drivers immediately ahead of him. Could fifth be on the cards for the RB driver?