Max Verstappen and Sebastian Vettel improve on their benchmark times with laps of 1:27.417 and 1:27.864 respectively.

Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer

"No-one is surprised that the Mercedes is showing so much pace. Domination of the level showed by the team last year does not evaporate overnight, and their rivals clearly have a lot of work to do, even if Nico Rosberg tried to play things down on Friday when he said: 'The others have really stepped up their game, the lap times are surprising to us and it seems Ferrari have made the biggest step right now.' He added that Ferrari were 'for sure' a threat, and that Mercedes' 'eyes are definitely wide open at the moment'."

Image source, Lotus

Lotus F1:, external All focused for next run Pastor Maldonado?

Pascal Wehrlein is the first to head back out after that stop by Jenson Button, quickly followed by Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen.

Despite the early forecast, the weather is holding up for now.

Max Verstappen (Toro Rosso) - 20

Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) - 18

Felipe Massa (Williams) - 15

Pastor Maldonado (Lotus) - 15

Daniil Kvyat (Red Bull) -12

Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari) - 11

Pascal Wehrlein (Force India) - 9

Jenson Button (McLaren) - 6

Marcus Ericsson (Sauber) - 0

The circuit is green again after Jenson Button's McLaren was quickly recovered.

Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer

"That is not what McLaren wanted - the car stopped by the side of the track less than 90 minutes into the day's running. The team will hope this is not a major issue, and that Jenson Button can be returned to running relatively quickly.

"Another major delay would be a significant setback, and the prospect of it being as failure of the newly redesigned part on the MGU-K that was introduced for today does not bear thinking about."

1. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes): 1:26.142

2. Felipe Massa (Williams): 1:26.912

3. Pastor Maldonado (Lotus): 1:27.257

4. Max Verstappen (Toro Rosso): 1:28.566

5. Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari): 1:29.076

6. Jenson Button (McLaren): 1:29.151

7. Pascal Wehrlein (Force India): 1:35.599

8. Daniil Kvyat (Red Bull): No time

9. Marcus Ericsson (Sauber): No time

Simon Nicoll:, external Fingers crossed for a competitive season with exciting safe racing, several teams looking good in testing, fantastic.

Another red flag as Jenson Button brings his McLaren to a halt at the edge of the track at Turn 7...

Image source, Marcus Ericsson

This tweet from Marcus Ericsson, external suggests he won't be heading out any time soon.

"I'm not a morning person anyway so that's OK," he tweets. "Give me a shout when we're ready. I'm in my driver room."

Nice socks Marcus...

Sebastian Vettel has been making up for lost time after this morning's spin with 10 laps to his name now, he has the fifth fastest time - a 1:28.933s.

Daniil Kvyat, who has been practicing pit stops this morning, is the only driver who has been on the circuit this morning yet to clock a timed lap.

Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer

"Alonso admitted the team were unlikely to be ready for the first race. 'We will arrive to Australia hoping Australia was in June or July, but it's in March and I don't know if we will arrive completely ready, but we will arrive in the best conditions we can,' the Spaniard said. 'I am happy with the progress we are making.'

"Alonso's overall confidence in the project, though, has not dimmed. 'I don't know how long it will take to win but sooner or later we will do it,' he said."

Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer

"Jenson Button is back in the McLaren on Saturday, for what he hopes will be his first proper day's testing of the winter - and the team's for that matter. Fernando Alonso managed 59 laps on Friday, and at a decent-ish lick, but the Honda engine was then carrying a temporary fix to the problem with the hybrid system that had stopped Button on Thursday. That part has now been replaced with a new design, which Honda hopes will fix it for good. But racing director Eric Boullier made it clear how much McLaren had missed out with all the engine problems over the first half of testing, saying they had done '50%' of what they had hoped to do by this stage."

Image source, Sauber

No running yet from Sauber. Marcus Ericsson is the man who should be heading out on to the circuit today but at the moment he is having to wait patiently as his team look into addressing a gearbox issue.

F1 journalist Dan Knutson in Barcelona: "Red Bull has been practicing pit stops this morning, giving Daniil Kvyat and the crew members some training for the season.

"The team did a number of practice stops yesterday with Daniel Ricciardo, changing tyres and also at times changing the steering wheel, and the nose cone and front wing."

Max Verstappen is up into the third after going round in 1:28.566 for Toro Rosso.

Five drivers have set timed laps so far: 1) Hamilton - 1:26.142 2) Massa 1:27.544 3) Verstappen 1:28.566 4) Button 1:29.151 5) Wehrlein 1:36.599

Installation lap done, Jenson Button records a 1:29.151s with his first timed effort to go third fastest, behind Felipe Massa and Lewis Hamilton.

Mike Heal:, external As a McLaren fan it pains me to say Ferrari have impressed me in testing. Kimi seems much more content. Hope it's another good day us.

Image source, McLaren

McLaren:, external JB's install lap complete, so back out in the MP4-30 to lay some more rubber.