Well it's been a busy four days but I think we now have a clearer picture of where we stand heading into the new season.

Mercedes look far and away the team to beat, with Williams and Ferrari looking the pick of the chasing pack. Special mention too for the Sauber and Force India cars, which look both reliable and quick.

Work clearly remains to be done at McLaren, but they are not the kind of team to stay down for too long.

First practice in Melbourne on 13 March is where the new season begins in earnest.

Do please join us.

Image source, Getty Images

Here's the top six times from the past four days of testing, and the tyre the lap was done on (only best time from each driver is included).

1. Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) 1:22.792 (soft)

2. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) 1:23.022 (soft)

3. Valtteri Bottas (Williams) 1:23.063 (super-soft)

4. Felipe Massa (Williams) 1:23.262 (super-soft)

5. Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari) 1:23.276 (super-soft)

6. Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari) 1:23.469 (super-soft)

Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer

"Well, that's it. Twelve days of pre-season testing are over. By the end of the week, the cars will be on their way to Melbourne for the first race and in a fortnight's time we will know the winner of the first grand prix of the 2015 season.

"On the evidence so far, you'd have to say it would take a miracle - or some poor reliability - for it not to be either Lewis Hamilton or Nico Rosberg.

"Mercedes are the class of the field, and are very likely to start the new season as they ended the last.

"A full analysis of the lessons of pre-season testing will be on the BBC Sport website later this evening."

1. Valtteri Bottas (Williams) 1:23.063 (89 laps)

2. Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari) 1:23.469 (129)

3. Felipe Nasr (Sauber) 1:24.023 (159)

4. Max Verstappen (Toro Rosso) 1:24.527 (85)

5. Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull) 1:24.638 (72)

6. Sergio Perez (Force India) 1:25.113 (130)

7. Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) 1:25.186 (148)

8. Jenson Button (McLaren) 1:25.327 (30)

9. Pastor Maldonado (Lotus) 1:28.272 (35)

So Mercedes left us wondering on their super-soft pace after all. No gung-ho heroics at the end there.

Very sensible. Very Mercedes.

It also underlines why I am not an F1 team boss and never have any money.

Pre-season testing 2015 is at an end. Next stop Oz.

Sergio Perez, Daniel Ricciardo, Max Verstappen, Nico Rosberg and Sebastian Vettel still circulate.

Is this going to end with a whimper or a bang?

"The teams are starting to pack up anything not needed if their cars are still running. The crews have been here for a long time - nearly two weeks if you include a couple day of setting up before testing began at the Barcelona circuit."

Image source, knutson

Blackburn Lad: "If I were Mercedes I'd blitz everyone else's times on the soft and then call it a day. Leave them all wondering."

Mercedes tweet:, external "@nico_rosberg isn't ready to head into the sunset just yet! Just over 30mins to go and he's maximising every one! #F1"

That's the soft tyre he has on. Still we wait for the super-softs.

Image source, Mercedes

The final throes of pre-season are upon us. Here's how we stand:

1. Valtteri Bottas (Williams) 1:23.063 (89 laps)*

2. Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari) 1:23.469 (109)

3. Felipe Nasr (Sauber) 1:24.023 (151)

4. Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull) 1:24.638 (58)

5. Sergio Perez (Force India) 1:25.113 (120)

6. Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) 1:25.186 (132)

7. Jenson Button (McLaren) 1:25.327 (29)

8. Max Verstappen (Toro Rosso) 1:25.710 (71)

9. Pastor Maldonado (Lotus) 1:28.272 (35)*

* No more running today

Toro Rosso tweet:, external "Now this is good news, Max is back! It will be good to get out for the final hour of pre-season testing #GOTOROROSSO"

Max Verstappen brought out the red flag earlier this afternoon when the STR10 sufferered an engine problem between turns 11 and 12.

Image source, Toro Rosso

Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer

"That's it for Lotus. They have abandoned their hopes of getting the car repaired in time to go out again following Pastor Maldonado's post-lunch crash and called it a day."

Image source, Getty Images

Now I'm a long way from being a big gambler, but if a book was running on Mercedes choosing to end pre-season testing with a super-soft tyre extravaganza I would be prepared to wager my life savings on it happening.

And I'm not one to bandy £4.37 around lightly.

The world champions' fearsome W06 is yet to don the red-walled tyre this winter, even though the rubber is estimated to be 0.5-0.8secs a lap quicker. For the record, their best lap so far is a 1:22.792. So it's feasible a lap in the 1:21s could maybe - maybe - be within reach.

Surely that's how they want to sign off. I know I would.

Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer

"Ferrari have sent Vettel out again - he's now just over 20 laps into his interrupted race simulation."

Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer

"Ferrari sent Sebastian Vettel out on a race simulation run earlier this afternoon, but it appears they have run into trouble - the German has not re-emerged after pitting at about what would have been the end of a first stint. We'll check and report back."

It's a pleasant, warm (18 degrees Centigrade) afternoon, but there are not that many fans in the grandstands as neither Fernando Alonso nor Carlos Sainz is testing today.

Image source, knutson

Williams tweet:, external "So that's winter testing completed for us. Next stop for the guys is @ausgrandprix Well done team!"

Williams end the day with Valtteri Bottas leading the way on a 1:23.063, set this morning on the super-soft tyre. The FW37 did just 89 laps but the team have not reported any issues.

Image source, Getty Images

"Lotus's pit wall gear is all still in place, as is the pit stop gantry equipment. It does not look like the team is packing up the transporters either, so the crew must be working on getting the car repaired so Pastor Maldonado can get some more laps in before the end of the day."

Another good day for Force India and the fledgling VJM08.

It has cracked 100 laps for the second day running having only first turned a wheel in anger late on Friday morning.

Sergio Perez, in the car today for the first time, sits fifth at present with a best time of 1:25.113.

Image source, Getty Images