Several cars head straight out including Kevin Magnussen in the Haas, the Ferrari of Sebastian Vettel and Jolyon Palmer, who stays in the Renault for this afternoon.

The recovery truck does its thing and the stricken Toro Rosso is removed from the circuit. We're back under way again with a touch over two hours to go.

I would pay good money to see Fernando Alonso driving this in a furry squirrel costume.

Daniil Kvyat was on his 77th lap of the day when he came to a stop at Turn 5.

Red flagpublished at 14:34 Greenwich Mean Time 9 March 2017

14:34 GMT 9 March 2017

Third red flag of the day.

This time it's for Daniil Kvyat's Toro Rosso.

Image source, Getty Images

Let's try another teaser.

I started 128 races, winning 12 of them.

My first grand prix win came on my debut for a team.

Fernando Alonso once provided the voice for my character in a film.

Who am I?

We're 90 minutes into the afternoon session and still no sign of the McLaren. 

For those who missed this morning, Stoffel Vandoorne came to a stop twice on the track following an electrical issue.

Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo recreate a scene we are likely to see many times this season as they speed down the start-finish straight almost side-by-side.

It's Vettel, on softs, who comes out on top in that "battle", passing the Red Bull, which has mediums on its wheels.

Valtteri Bottas is out on the circuit and slots into P8 with a 1:22.038 on softs. He's up to 12 laps for the afternoon.

It was quite an exciting end to the morning as Ferrari teased a show of strength. In contrast, it is a slow and steady start to the afternoon with race runs the likely programme for many.

It's a potentially crucial afternoon for Esteban Ocon. This is his final spell in the Force India before the opening race of the season, with Sergio Perez in tomorrow.

Ocon has just been out for a lap before pitting.

Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer

Fernando Alonso’s take-no-prisoners remarks about the Honda engine understandably attracted the most attention on Wednesday evening but his media briefing was interesting in other ways, too. The two-time champion has been one of the most outspokenly critical of Pirelli’s high-degradation tyres in the last six years and he said many times last year that his decision on whether to continue in F1 beyond this season would depend on whether the cars were made more demanding again.

Alonso dropped a heavy hint he would carry on when he said he did not want to go out on a low. But he also said that he was thoroughly enjoying the new cars and tyres - and that he could even use the aggressive turn-in style for which he became famous among the cognoscenti in the Renault-Michelin days a decade and more ago.

“I am preparing myself better than ever,” he said. “I feel really strong driving this year with these cars. I can do also my driving style, my quick input on the steering wheel on (corner) entry (like) in the old days, so I’m really enjoying. I’m feeling very strong, I’m feeling the strongest here, but I don’t have the power. I have a lot of time.”

Sebastian Vettel appears for the first time this afternoon. The message from the team seems to be don't get carried away judging by this tweet. It is indeed early days.

Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer

Honda say they are not changing the engine on the McLaren. No word on when it will be back out, however. 

Pascal Wehrlein's first time of the day is a 1:23.536 on soft tyres. 

Meanwhile, Daniel Ricciardo has completed his impression of wacky waving inflatable tubeperson and is on the track.

Pascal Wehrlein, who takes over from Marcus Ericsson in the Sauber this afternoon, is out for the first time today.

Ericsson got in plenty of mileage this morning as he did 88 laps - more than any other driver.

Dave McCreery: Can you use your powers of persuasion to get a video of the Dan Dance?

You can watch it in all its glory here. , external

Kinda reminds me of one of these.

Image source, .