Get involved #bbcf1published at 11:35 Greenwich Mean Time 1 March 2016
Careers for drivers after F1
Final four days of pre-season testing
Nico Rosberg fastest
Bottas second, Alonso third
Get involved #bbcf1
Gary Rose
Careers for drivers after F1
Was anyone expecting anything different from Mercedes on the soft tyres? The rest of the field must be dreading the moment they give the ultra-softs a go for the first time.
Still, at least Mercedes' rivals can enjoy the nice views. Swings and roundabouts.
Meanwhile, no noticeable changes on the timesheet. Kimi Raikkonen is still on the medium tyres, so hasn't had chance to respond to Nico Rosberg's effort on the softs. He has just entered the pits though...
Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer
Rosberg's time was 0.7secs quicker than the fastest time on softs last week - set by Sebastian Vettel's Ferrari.
Now, you can't necessarily compare from one week to the next because track conditions change but that is an ominous sign nonetheless. Not that after last week it appeared as if Mercedes had anything other than a large advantage.
Make that 66 laps for Nico Rosberg.
The length of the Spanish Grand Prix now completed, Rosberg pits and pulls on softs.
It is the first time Mercedes have reached for the yellow-walled tyre and the result is Rosberg clocking 1:23.022.
By my reckoning that is now the fastest time on that compound in testing so far.
F1 journalist Dan Knutson in Barcelona: "Nico Rosberg has pitted after his latest run. He has completed 65 laps so far – one short of a grand prix distance – and there are still almost five hours of track time remaining in today’s session."
We've been asking you to suggest careers post F1 for drivers past and present and, as usual, you have delivered.
1. Nico Rosberg 1:24.329 65 laps
2. Kimi Raikkonen 1:24.907 28 laps
3. Valtteri Bottas 1:25.263 39 laps
4. Max Verstappen 1:25.356 40 laps
5. Fernando Alonso 1:25.519 32 laps
6. Nico Hulkenberg 1:25.954 31 laps
7. Daniil Kvyat 1:26.227 22 laps
8. Esteban Gutierrez 1:26.661 22 laps
9. Kevin Magnussen 1:26.981 39 laps
10. Felipe Nasr 1:28.676 31 laps
11. Rio Haryanto No time 1 lap
A response from Mercedes?
As Kimi Raikkonen sets Ferrari's fastest time on medium tyres in testing so far, Nico Rosberg then goes fastest of all with 1:24.329.
A run down of the times and laps completed so far coming up...
Fernando Alonso has also just clocked his fastest time of testing so far - a 1:25.519 on the soft tyre. That's 0.5s quicker than he went last week.
The Spaniard has also completed 28 laps. Good going so far reliability-wise.
Unusual post-F1 careers
Ah, good to see he didn't miss that trick!
Apparently he makes awesome coffee too. The things you learn during testing...
Nico Rosberg holds Mercedes' best time of testing so far with the 1.24.867 he set on day two of the first test. That was on the medium tyres. Kimi Raikkonen's time this morning - 1:24.907 - was also set on mediums.
Is the gap closing? We can but hope, although you can't help but feel Mercedes have more pace than they have shown so far...
What could the drivers do after F1?
I'm surprised it took so long for this one to be suggested to be honest.
Kimi Raikkonen hasn't had too much time out on the circuit this morning - just 20 laps so far - but clocks the third fastest time of testing so far - a 1:24.907.
F1 journalist Dan Knutson in Barcelona: "Like Haas, Manor is using a new monocoque for this test. Rio Haryanto did one installation lap when the session began and has been in the garage ever since."
Time to check in at Manor.
Since Rio Haryanto popped out early doors for a lap he has been holed up in the Manor garage ever since. Here's the latest from the team: