Summary

  • Hamilton fastest in second practice

  • Grosjean's engine cover disintegrates on track

  • Fourth engine change of the season for Daniel Ricciardo

  • New livery for McLaren

  • Get involved: your #bestliveries

  1. The unluckiest driver in F1 history?published at 13:24 British Summer Time 8 May 2015

    Formula 1Image source, Getty Images

    This weekend's Spanish GP will be the 25th held at the Circuit de Catalunya, so we've been having a look at some memorable moments from past races on the circuit.

    Here's British driver Perry McCarthy (a one-time Top Gear 'Stig' of course) striking a frustrated pose as he stands next to his stricken Andrea Moda car. It was at the 1992 Spanish GP and was meant to be a memorable moment for McCarthy, because it would have been his debut.

    Instead, it lasted the amount of time it took his car to roll 18 metres before the engine blew out. McCarthy would never get to race at a grand prix, later claiming cartoon villain Dick Dastardly had more luck than he did.

  2. Postpublished at 13:22 British Summer Time 8 May 2015

    WilliamsImage source, Williams

    Williams:, external Today is the 38th anniversary of William in F1.

  3. Postpublished at 13:22 British Summer Time 8 May 2015

    Tom Clarkson
    BBC F1 pit-lane reporter

    "Romain Grosjean is staying in the car, it won't be a big job to put a new engine cover back on. I can't see any other damage on the car."

  4. Go! Go! Go!published at 13:21 British Summer Time 8 May 2015

    Debris cleared and we are good to go again. Valtteri Bottas is straight back out there, with his Williams team-mate Felipe Massa following soon after.

  5. Postpublished at 13:19 British Summer Time 8 May 2015

    LotusImage source, Formula 1

    Fortunately there was no one directly behind Romain Grosjean when that happened. Instead a couple who followed shortly after were able to tip toe their way between the debris before the red flag came out.

    Marshals are out on the empty track now picking up the debris and we should hopefully be back up and running in the not too distant future.

  6. Red flagpublished at 13:17 British Summer Time 8 May 2015

    We have our first red flag of the day and it comes after Romain Grosjean's engine cover spectacularly blows off as he was coming down the main straight.

  7. Postpublished at 13:15 British Summer Time 8 May 2015

    The Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg have come out to play and the latter goes fastest with 1:29.075, putting him ahead of Sebastian Vettel, Kimi Raikkonen and Max Verstappen. Just four drivers are still to complete a timed lap.

  8. Postpublished at 13:13 British Summer Time 8 May 2015

    Andrew Benson
    Chief F1 writer

    "It seems Daniel Ricciardo and Red Bull have lost another engine - Tom Clarkson reports from the pits that Ricciardo needs and engine change and that means it is likely to be the fourth engine Red Bull have gone through already this year. That's one driver's entire allocation for the year.

    "And there is more bad news for Renault emerging this weekend, with the impression that a push to expand the allocation of engines from four to five for the rest of the season is set to be torpedoed at the next meeting of F1's strategy group. The idea was to help Renault and, to a lesser extent, Honda, and Mercedes have indicated they will back the idea. But Force India and Williams will veto it on the grounds that it will cost them each another £1.5m, which they cannot afford."

  9. Postpublished at 13:12 British Summer Time 8 May 2015

    FerrariImage source, Ferrari

    Beautiful shot from Ferrari as Sebastian Vettel pulled out of the garage. He set that fastest lap just now on the hard tyre.

  10. Postpublished at 13:10 British Summer Time 8 May 2015

    Formula 1Image source, Formula 1

    No messing about from Marcus Ericsson as he sets the first time of the session with 1:32.803. It won't take long for that to be bettered, though, with several other drivers also out on the circuit.

    Sure enough, Sebastian Vettel muscles into P1 with a 1:29.394.

  11. Vote - F1's greatest colour schemepublished at 13:07 British Summer Time 8 May 2015

    We've loved your favourite livery messages that we have decided to power up a vote on the matter. If you look on the right side of this page, you can see we are asking what is F1's greatest colour scheme?

    Choose one of the six options, listed below, and also check terms and conditions. Vote will close at 14:30 BST.

    1979 Ferarri - We could've picked so many Ferrari liveries from down the years, but we've gone for the '79 beauty, driven here by the late, great Gilles Villeneuve.

    Ferrari 1979Image source, Getty Images

    1986 Lotus - The John Player Special Lotus. An absolute classic. And with Senna's yellow helmet... Ooph.

    LotusImage source, Getty Images

    1989 Benetton - The splurge of colour that was the B189. Love it or loathe it?

    BenettonImage source, Getty Images

    1990 McLaren - Senna's championship-winning car. The most iconic colour scheme of them all?

    SennaImage source, Getty Images

    1997 Jordan - Lots of you nominated this snakey character on Twitter. But the greatest ever?

    JordanImage source, Getty Images

    2008 McLaren - Hamilton's victory wagon. We'll never forget that sexy silver.

    McLarenImage source, Getty Images
  12. Postpublished at 13:04 British Summer Time 8 May 2015

    Formula 1Image source, Formula 1

    Marcus Ericsson, who sat out this morning's session as reserve driver Raffaele Marciello took the Sauber wheel, is the first to venture out under the brilliant blue sky. Beautiful day in Spain.

  13. Postpublished at 13:01 British Summer Time 8 May 2015

    Tom Clarkson
    BBC F1 pit-lane reporter

    "Why do I always have to be the bearer of bad news when it comes to Red Bull? I am standing in front of Dan Ricciardo's car and it has no rear end on it. They are having to replace the power unit and given it takes two-and-a-half hours to replace I doubt they will get out in the session."

  14. Go! Go! Go!published at 13:01 British Summer Time 8 May 2015

    The pits are open and 90 minutes of second practice is under way!

    Will Daniel Ricciardo get more track time than he did this morning? Time to find out...

  15. Five minute warningpublished at 12:57 British Summer Time 8 May 2015

    Five minutes until second practice gets under way and you can enhance your practice-following experience by listening to BBC Radio 5 live sports extra commentary courtesy of James Allen, which is available via the live coverage tab on this page.

  16. Postpublished at 12:51 British Summer Time 8 May 2015

    LotusImage source, Lotus
  17. Name that livery!published at 12:50 British Summer Time 8 May 2015

    FormulaImage source, Getty Images

    As a bit of fun, why not test your livery knowledge and let us know the car and year the four above are from to #bbcf1, external.

    We'll reveal the four after second practice.

  18. Get involved - #bestliveriespublished at 12:49 British Summer Time 8 May 2015

    With McLaren having unveiled new livery this week, we asked you this morning what your favourite liveries from the annals of Formula 1 history are. Here are a few more suggestions:

    Shey Mcfez: The Honda's RA107 was different in a good way.

    HondaImage source, Getty Images

    Krispijn Scholte: The McLaren MP4-21 in papaya orange. Gotta be honest, as a Dutchman I am partial to orange.

    McLarenImage source, Getty Images
  19. Reprimand for Rosbergpublished at 12:46 British Summer Time 8 May 2015

    There was a bit of news between the sessions as Nico Rosberg escaped with a reprimand after entering the pit lane after going round a bollard the wrong way in first practice.

  20. Postpublished at 12:43 British Summer Time 8 May 2015

    Lewis HamiltonImage source, Getty Images