Amid all that as well, Nico Rosberg has dropped down to P4, with Sergio Perez nipping up to third.

Do I have to say that positions and times mean nothing in testing after every entry? Can we assume it's a given?

Image source, Getty Images

Wait, what? You need five more laps to go past Lewis Hamilton, Nico.

Anybody want to buy a cake off me? Barely used... It says 'congratulations on beating Lewis' on top.

I may have eaten some of the buttercream icing.

I don't know what to think any more...

Some good news for Alexander Rossi, who raced for Marussia (now Manor) last season.

You're going to hate the celebration I've got planned for when Rosberg surpasses Hamilton's lap tally...

I've ordered a cake and everything.

Image source, Getty Images

Valtteri Bottas clicks over the 100-lap mark.

We've barely mentioned the Williams man today.

He only completed 80 laps yesterday, but finished up in P4. He's currently P6 today.

Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer

Image source, Getty Images

Romain Grosjean started his Haas career on track yesterday, with Esteban Gutierrez in the seat today.

Andrew Benson assesses the Frenchman's first day...

“There was inevitably a lot of attention on the new Haas team as testing started on Monday and they did not have the easiest of starts to their F1 career.

"A front wing failure at 320km/h stopped Romain Grosjean's running after 13 laps and although he did get out later, it was while running at a speed limit on the straights.

"It’s exactly the sort of issue one would expect to afflict a new team and Grosjean remained upbeat. ‘We understood the problem very quickly, it was clear to everyone,’ he said. ‘It shouldn't be too hard to fix, and there's a 99% chance that we have solved the problem. It's kind of a small team but we've got big resources. There have been a few minor things but everyone is on it. When it's on Ferrari's side they have been good, and when it's on our side we have good people as well to solve it. We didn't have any leaks, any problems, any failures, any electrical cuts. We will have more problems, that's a fact, but we are very happy with where we are’."    

There's certainly a similarity, Ryan.

But part of the Mastercard Lola's mystique - nay aura - emanates from it's single, failed qualifying outing.

When it comes to longevity, the Benetton is a keeper.

Centuries everywhere you look now.

That's Daniel Ricciardo clocking 100 laps and Max Verstappen has ticked over a ton too.

It's not F1, but this is a must for petrolheads.

Head over to the BBC Northern Ireland Facebook page, external where you can take a 360 degree ride around the NW200.

You can click and drag to move your view around while whizzing around the streets.

It's super cool and amazing.

Image source, Getty Images

F1 journalist Dan Knutson in Barcelona: "Sebastian Vettel was asked if he liked the higher pitch of the Ferrari engine.

“'Yes,' he said. 'I think it’s nice to have a bit more sound coming from the engine. It sounds a bit more like Formula 1, but it’s still not as loud as it could and should be – but it’s a bit better than before'.

"The sound levels and the pitch are different, of course, for the driver sitting in the cockpit in front of the engine and exhaust pipe to what the fans hear sitting in the grandstands."

Very much so, Jai. As I always say, the first rule of testing is never to read too much into testing.

I think the most interesting thing to come from today is how much time Ferrari and Red Bull were able to shave off with the new purple ultra-soft tyres.

Image source, Getty Images

Nico Rosberg has lapped 126 times today, which is 30 short of Lewis Hamilton's tally yesterday.

He's got two more hours to overhaul his Mercedes team-mate.

Not that it matters.

(But it does).

Esteban Gutierrez has completed 44 laps in total today.

The fewest belongs to Jolyon Palmer in the Renault, with 42.

Image source, Getty Images

There will still be a massive spotlight on Fernando Alonso of course, after murmurs of him desiring a sabbatical emerged towards the end of last season.

He said it was tosh, of course, but there is a feeling that if the Spaniard does not feel the McLaren has progressed suitably over the winter, that he might take a break.

Reliability today has been good.

Speed, on he other hand... he's in P8 of 11.

Image source, Getty Images

Fernando Alonso has clocked 100 laps, which might sate any concerns over his McLaren's reliability.

OK, Rob.

We'll stop.

No more tweets like this...

Or this...

And no more of this kind of silliness...

Now, could you all stop sending images mocking the Mastercard Lola to the hashtag #bbcf1 on Twitter.

Ta.

I believe this is Haas's second attempt at getting Esteban Gutierrez out during the afternoon session.

It's gone better than the previous attempt.

The red and white of McLaren really gets you going.

I'm still a blue and white Williams man myself.

But here's eye candy for the McLarenistas out there...

It's been a while since we checked in on the times, so here they are:

VET 1:22.810 (Laps 71)

RIC 1:23.525 (89)

PER 1:24.417 (62)

ROS 1:24.867 (106)

ERI 1:25.734 (74)

BOT 1:25.872 (73)

WEH 1:25.925 (36)

ALO 1:26.082 (94)

PAL 1:26.189 (42)

GUT 1:26.931 (32)

VES 1:27.211 (76)