Russell lost control of his Williams after dropping a wheel on to the grass late in the session but managed to avoid any damage.

Behind the Briton, Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso was eighth, split from his team-mate Lance Stroll by French rookie Isack Hadjar in the Racing Bull.

Bearman’s crash brought out a red flag, stopping the session for 10 minutes while his damaged car was cleared from the track.

It was the second stoppage of the session after officials brought out the red flag to clear gravel from the circuit on the exit of Turn Six, dragged there by Australian rookie Jack Doohan in the Alpine.

Shortly after running resumed, Piastri also ran slightly wide at the corner, one of the most difficult on the track, and brought fresh gravel on to the circuit.