F1 jounalist Dan Knutson in Barcelona: "Before testing began, Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff said: 'I think we are having some bits which are maybe slightly unusual. We're not sure if they will come on to the car, it depends on how the analysis of the data from today goes. But certainly some things to look at. Certainly the first time I saw it I was pretty surprised.'

"One of those new “bits” is the radical “S duct” front nose which is fitted to the car today."

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Mercedes

Speaking of Fernando Alonso, here's the best F1-celebrity lookalike so far I reckon. Uncanny.

Image source, Getty Images

There will be no surprise to see who has been keeping the lap counter ticking over the most - Lewis Hamilton has 35 under his belt so far today.

Fernando Alonso has the fewest, just three. Not hearing of any issues yet. Will keep an eye on this one.

Image source, AP

Force India's development driver Alfonso Celis - the Fonz as the team have taken to affectionately calling him - is off the mark with a 1:32.925.

That takes us up to 10 drivers setting a timed lap. We're just waiting for Fernando Alonso in the McLaren to put one down...

Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer

One of the most eye-catching aspects of this first test has been the performance of the new US-based Haas team. Other than a brief glitch when its front wing fell of on Monday, the car has run reliably and quickly - the extent that they look like any other F1 team. Which considering they’re not, is quite some feat. Admittedly, they have bought in absolutely everything they can from Ferrari, but it is still an immensely impressive achievement. 

Romain Grosjean - who had to take the difficult decision to leave Lotus, a team he must have been pretty sure was about to become Renault - seems over the moon. ‘The idea was to go over 100 laps but we didn’t quite manage it because of a small glitch on the software,’ he said. ‘But everyone is happy wth the way it reacts. The first impressions are still there. I enjoy driving it. we have a lot of work to do behind the scenes but it was a positive day.

‘The baseline is very good, all the work that has been done in the winter. Head of aero Ben Agathangelou has done a really good job to get the car to drive nicely. it is a very safe and nice baseline. it is one of the very good baseline I have driven.’

Good call? I'll let you decide...

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Renault

As promised, the times set so far. All have been on the medium compound except for Magnussen, whose time came on the softs.

Kevin Magnussen 1:25.263

Kimi Raikkonen 1:27.709

Daniil Kvyat 1:28.053

Max Verstappen 1:28.083

Esteban Gutierrez 1:29.088

Lewis Hamilton 1:29.204

Rio Haryanto 1:32.541

Felipe Massa 1:49.531

It isn't as awesome as Kimi, but then what is?

Gotta say, I admire Lewis Hamilton for rocking up to work on this thing. What was it he said last year? No cares given?

Looks like that confidence has rubbed off on Coco too. Check out that proud swagger stride he's got going on.

I mentioned that Toro Rosso did a lot of laps yesterday, and they've already got 10 under their belt so far.

Rio Haryanto has also joined the fun with his second-ever run out in the Manor. His first timed effort is a 1:32.541 - the seventh fastest time. 

Eight timed laps so far. I'll give you a run down of who has done what at 9am.

Good call. 

Although Nigel Mansell was a shout when Button was going through his moustache phase last year.

Image source, Getty Images

Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer

Image source, Getty Images

The man who ended Wednesday fastest was Force India’s Nico Hulkenberg. He set a good time - on the super-soft he was actually half a second quicker than Sebastian Vettel’s Ferrari had been the day before. However, there was already a sense that Vettel had perhaps not nailed that lap, and comparing across days is always tricky. 

In any case, Hulkenberg was not under any illusions, even if Force India’s delight at their start to 2016 remained in place. 

"We tried a bit more to test where our package stands than the competition," he said, "so no reason to get over-excited. The package looks OK but still a lot of work in front of us. We were pretty decent at the end of last year. This car does feel good and the right direction. So far so good but we can’t stop working."

Plenty of tarmac pounding from Toro Rosso on Thursday. They've amassed the second highest amount of mileage so far in testing.

Max Verstappen is putting the car through its paces today, and he has just posted a 1:28.079 to go fourth fastest.

This is happening isn't it?  

Esteban Gutierrez, Kimi Raikkonen and Kevin Magnussen have joined Lewis Hamilton in completing timed laps, with the K-Mag fastest of all so far after a 1:27.234.

Lap it up Renault, why not?

The white walled medium compound tyre appears to be the tyre of choice so far.

You might be interested to know how many laps the teams have done so far. I know I was, so I dusted off the calculator yesterday to work it out.

I must stress these are very much unofficial, and I must also warn you I got a C at GCSE Maths, but I'm 99% certain they are spot on.

Mercedes:490 

Toro Rosso: 337

Williams: 323  

Sauber: 311

Ferrari: 273  

Red Bull: 273  

Force India: 258

McLaren: 254  

Manor: 203  

Haas: 192

Renault: 190 

Anton, you are straying dangerously close to convincing me to ask for people to send in their F1 celebrity look-a-likes.

Although, to be fair, Take On Me would be an appropriate song for Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton this season.

A lovely shot from Renault as the K-Mag heads out for an early morning scoot around. Daniil Kvyat has also been out in the Red Bull but only Lewis Hamilton has set a time.

In fact he has just improved, popping a 1:29.204 on the board. 

Mercedes, by the way, are trialling a new nose design today. Hence the nosey tweet in the previous entry.