[Zhou's] accident cost Bearman some much-needed running time as he sought to get up to speed after being told only this morning that he would need to replace Sainz.
The 18-year-old, who will become the youngest British driver to compete in a grand prix, was fastest briefly early on in the session.
Red Bull’s Sergio Perez was third fastest, 0.494secs off Verstappen, who has plenty of time in hand as he did not improve on his final qualifying simulation lap at the end of the session.
Mercedes’ George Russell was fourth, from McLaren’s Lando Norris and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, who finished second in the 2005 Spanish Grand Prix on the day Bearman was born.