Image source, McLaren

So far so good for McLaren, with Fernando Alonso currently P7 and Jenson Button P11, a reverse of how they finished up in second practice on Friday.

No one has got their qualifying simulation under way, with that happening towards the end of this session. Twenty two minutes left...

Having managed to avoid the barriers, Lewis Hamilton is able to recover without any drama and get his car back to the pits.

Tom Clarkson
BBC F1 pit-lane reporter

"One of the reasons Lewis ran wide there is because you need to get back on the power as quickly as possible through Turn 3. You have a crosswind, so the car will be shaking because the air is going across the car."

Lewis Hamilton spins at the exit of Turn 3, close to where Fernando Alonso crashed in pre-season testing, and is parked across the circuit, kicking up a huge plume of dust as he hits the brakes.

Lewis Hamilton is immediately on the pace as a 1:26.965 sees him slot into P2, with his Mercedes team-mate providing a very familiar feel to the order by moving into P1 with a 1:26.777.

Rosberg set the best lap time in P3 last year with a 1:25.887.

As Nico Rosberg pops up into P3 with a 1:27.418, Lewis Hamilton has climbed back into his Mercedes and joins his team-mate on the circuit.

Lucy Ann: Jenson Button as Jack from Titanic because he doesn't abandon a sinking ship?

Alexander P: Alain Prost as Bruce Banner? The hair... and the nickname. "The Professor"

Jeelan Sumaria: Maldonado as the Joker. He's certainly an agent of chaos.

Image source, Ferrari

Kimi Raikkonen is shaving seconds off his time at the top of the timesheet, with his latest effort a 1:27.330.

Raikkonen was responsible for some team radio gold on Friday as he got increasingly frustrated about going round and round the circuit, remarking: "Do you want to keep going doing laps and laps? Because I get absolutely nothing out of this."

Fifteen drivers have completed timed laps now.

Fernando seems to have beaten us to this one, tweeting his alter ego last year...

Image source, Fernando Alonso

After popping out for an out lap, Lewis Hamilton is now sat reclining in pretty comfortable looking chair in the Mercedes garage.

Everyone except Daniil Kvyat has been out on the circuit, with the Russian's Red Bull still being worked on. Just under 40 minutes of the session remaining.

Image source, Getty Images

Like pretty much all the teams in Barcelona, Ferrari arrived armed with new updates.

On Friday, Sebastian Vettel fared better than his team-mate Kimi Raikkonen, who struggled all day with the conditions, with the German splitting the Mercedes in FP2 by finishing second. A solid showing, but nothing to get the juices flowing.

So, are the updates working as hoped?

"Well, as usual if you bring new parts you have to confirm them on the track - and to make a verdict after only one day on a rather green track is hard to do," explained Vettel. "I think after qualifying we will have a clearer picture, but my gut feeling is that it is a step in the right direction. If we didn't have that impression there would be no reason to bring them."

The Ferraris have joined the fray and swiftly move top of the order as Kimi Raikkonen clocks a 1:27.330 to move into P1, with Sebastian Vettel half a second slower in second.

Image source, The Times

He is out on the circuit for final practice, but is Fernando Alonso's bad luck at the Circuit de Catalunya set to continue?

The Times reports that, external he is currently recovering from an inflammation of his eye, which could even rule him out of Sunday's race if he is not deemed fit enough by doctors.

Tom Clarkson
BBC F1 pit-lane reporter

"Fernando Alonso has just come in for a new front wing, they are playing about with that at the moment. It is interesting with the new livery, it is darker, but it is actually lighter - it weighs less.

"McLaren are really making progress and I am pretty sure one of their cars will get into Q3? Maybe both could get into Q3, it will be interesting to find out."

Image source, Getty Images

McLaren are showcasing more than just shiny new livery this weekend. They arrived in Spain this week armed with a whole host of upgrades.

"We have aerodynamic upgrades here this weekend, we have some engine, reliability upgrades," said McLaren managing director Jonathan Neale. "And importantly Exxon Mobil have delivered us a fuel upgrade here as well."

There was certainly reason to be optimistic after Friday's showing in practice as Jenson Button was seventh fastest with Fernando Alonso 11, suggesting they could finally be set to battle for the points on this weekend.

But, as ever, it is in qualifying and the race when it counts.

There'll be cheers from the early risers in the stands as Fernando Alonso rolls out for the first time today.

Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer in Barcelona

"It was another dark day for Red Bull on the reliability front on Friday. Daniel Ricciardo managed only 13 laps all day and got out for only the last five minutes of the second session. The engine fitted to replace the one that had failed was Ricciardo's fourth engine - so he has now used all his allocated units for the season at only the fifth race.

"Grid penalties are inevitable for Ricciardo at some point, and he is desperately hoping he does not lose another engine and have to take a grid drop at Monaco next time around. 'We expected today to be limited with mileage,' said Ricciardo.

"'Obviously we had to put in the fourth engine, which I guess was on the plan. With the laps we did, we have a lot to learn. It would have been nice to get more running. We had quite a few updates today, so trying to get them working in the correct window is something that we have to discover. We all know it's not quite acceptable. It's out of my control. I'm doing what I can with what I've got.'"

A few more drivers complete their first timed laps. Daniel Ricciardo, who managed just 13 laps on Friday, is making up for lost time and completes an unexceptional lap, some five seconds slower than Felipe Nasr's effort. He soon improves, though, a 1:29.027 putting him top of the early order.

Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg join the fun on the circuit, both on hard tyres, before Felipe Nasr puts the first time on the board, a 1:31.478.