Summary

  • Maldonado fastest on third day of testing

  • Vettel in gravel on testing return

  • Ferrari driver goes on to complete over 100 laps

  • Lewis Hamilton enjoys trouble-free day

  • Jenson Button misses most of afternoon

Live Reporting

Gary Rose

  1. Although it is making me want to do the Nico dance. Mercedes wins?

  2. MercedesMercedes

    The top of my twitter feed has taken a bizarre turn with Mercedes tweeting a 'video' of Nico Rosberg doing the 'Nico Dance'.

    Not sure what more you can say about that...

  3. Daniil Kvyat is back on the circuit and clocks 1:26.589 with his latest effort to move up to fifth fastest. Sebastian Vettel is also out there, with Pastor Maldonado soon joining them. No-one has joined pacesetter Max Verstappen in strapping on soft tyres.

  4. Get involved #bbcf1

    Chris Akrill: Sat near turn 7 at Catalunya. Ferrari look awesome. Can't understand the commentator, so keep us updated on what's happening elsewhere.

  5. Toro RossoToro Rosso

    Toro Rosso: Barcelona Test - Day 3. Have a look.. Max is on top ;)

  6. The earlier reported power issues for Jenson Button's McLaren has hampered his mileage this morning, he is the only driver to have been out on circuit to have a single figure lap count, having managed nine.

    He pops on to the circuit for an installation lap, but is back in and doesn't look to be out again any time soon.

  7. WilliamsWilliams F1

    Williams: Pitstop practice in full swing for the team here.

  8. Fresh from bolting on soft tyres, Max Verstappen is back out on the track...and goes fastest of all as his Toro Rosso is round in 1:25.417s. That has come on his 43rd lap of the morning, the most of any driver out there.

  9. Get involved #bbcf1

    Edson Charikinya: It will take getting used to seeing Vettel in Ferrari red.

  10. Sebastian VettelGetty Images

    Just as I sent through that update, Sebastian Vettel posts his fastest lap time of the morning, going round in 1:26.407s to climb into second place. Daniil Kvyat is out once again, and finishes a lap for the first time today, a 1:30.663. He then improves with 1:28.976 to move above Jenson Button into seventh.

  11. Testing day three so far

    1. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) 1:26.142

    2. Felipe Massa (Williams) 1:26.912

    3. Max Verstappen (Toro Rosso) 1:27.417

    4. Pascal Wehrlein (Force India) 1:27.699

    5. Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari) 1:27.823

    6. Pastor Maldonado (Lotus) 1:28.257

    7. Jenson Button (McLaren) 1:29.151

    8. Daniil Kvyat (Red Bull) No time

    9. Marcus Ericsson (Sauber) No time

  12. Formula 1

    F1 journalist Dan Knutson in Barcelona: "A rubbish truck is making the rounds in the paddock. On race weekends this is done late in the evening or very early in the morning as Bernie Ecclestone would never allow such a sight to blight his pristine paddock."

  13. SauberSauber

    Sauber: Busy times in the media centre.

  14. Pastor Maldonado heads out to give Lewis Hamilton some company on the circuit.

    Still waiting for official confirmation on what happened to Jenson Button, but suggestions are that his McLaren shut down on the track.

  15. Get involved #bbcf1

    Dennis Axford: Very quiet on the Williams front, just seem to be getting on with it as they did last season.

  16. Lewis Hamilton is up to 30 laps for the day with his best time 1:26.142. He is on the medium tyre and has been lapping in the 1:36s, but shaves nine seconds off his latest run.

    He is the only driver on the circuit as Pascal Wehrlein, who had climbed up to fourth with 1:27.699, pits.

  17. Toro RossoToro Rosso

    Toro Rosso: Barcelona Test - Day 3. Fifty Shades of Grey... but rain holding off for now!

  18. Andrew Benson
    Chief F1 writer

    "Was Friday the day Formula 1 finally glimpsed the potential of the 2015 Mercedes? It had been a low-key pre-season until then, but when Lewis Hamilton unleashed a lap only 0.3secs off the pace on tyres that were at least a second a lap slower than those used by everyone ahead of him, it did not take much imagination to work out what that probably meant. And race simulation runs done simultaneously by Hamilton and Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo only strengthened that impression. Hamilton's average lap time was a whopping 0.816secs quicker than Ricciardo's. They were on different tyre strategies, but that is quite some margin."

  19. I wonder if Lewis Hamilton has fully shaken off the effects of the illness that kept him out of the car on Thursday? He was well enough to get some time on the circuit yesterday, although conceded he still didn't feel 100%. He remains the pacesetter almost two hours into today's testing.

  20. Still waiting for Daniil Kvyat to set a lap time this morning. He has been round the circuit 12 times for Red Bull so far, but has made a practice pitstop at the end of each lap.