Andrew Benson
BBC Sport’s chief F1 writer

This is the time of optimism and new beginnings, and that was no more than case anywhere than Red Bull, where team boss Christian Horner was rhapsodising about how well they had managed to fit the Honda engine into their RB15 car. “When you look at how neatly integrated it is into the chassis,” Horner said. “It a really is a thing of beauty and I think the whole engineering team collectively with Honda have done a great job in terms of installing what looks like a Swiss clock into the back of our chassis.”

As for the rather more important question of how it goes, Max Verstappen was not exactly effusive. “So far so good,” he said. “Everything was working quite well but it’s still the first day so you can’t really comment that much. We’re happy. We’ll keep improving. We still need to learn the car and the engine.”

F1TW11: Best looking car of 2019 is hands down the Mercedes. End of.

In Oxford: I'd have to say that the @HaasF1Team & @McLarenF1 2019 #F1 liveries are the best, hard to judge the @WilliamsRacing yet, just from pics. @ScuderiaFerrari is definitely one of the worst looking ones!

Euan: The Haas car needs more gold on. It just looks black at high speed and is disappointing. Although maybe they are hoping it will be stealthy during night races?

Carl Ford: The best looking car on track for 2019 has to be the @McLarenF1, come on @bbcf1 you agree.... don't you?

We do love the MCL34...

1. Leclerc 1:19.427

2. Ricciardo 1:19.886

3. Giovinazzi 1:20.512

4. Hamilton 1:20.742

5. Stroll 1:21.278

6. Gasly 1:21.295

7. Norris 1:21.799

8. Albon 1:22.883

Matte red? What do you reckon?

Looks good, but black and red makes them look a bit like the enemy - just like the BMC cycling team, or Dennis the Menace.

Image source, Getty Images

Bob McFeil: What could be better than sipping a cup of tea, with a biscuit and following F1 testing?

Carl Slocombe: Looking forward to keeping up to speed on day 2 of testing today. Hello to any work colleagues that might also be watching (and calling me out like last year). Hopeful of seeing the #RedBull push the #Honda engine and for some #McLaren resurgence today.

We know you're all reading this at work. And we know your boss is too. So Get Involved, tweet us and tell us where you are and what you do. #sendpics

Personally I think the Valentine's Day one is nicer than their actual one for the season. But it's #bbcf1 on Twitter for your thoughts.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Black and gold livery, certainly an improvement on last year, but could be confused with a Renault at 200mph?

Image source, Getty Images

Right folks, we're having a debate at the BBC Sport towers on which is the best looking car this season. (Pictures to follow) Tweet us via #bbcf1 for your thoughts, and give the car a thumbs up or thumbs down.

Both Mercedes drivers, Lewis Hamilton (AM) and Valtteri Bottas (PM) are out today, as well as the two Renault drivers Daniel Ricciardo (AM) and Nico Hulkenberg (PM).

Just like yesterday, everyone else has one driver, which is the alternate to yesterday.

Ferrari - Charles Leclerc

Red Bull - Pierre Gasly

Haas - Kevin Magnussen

McLaren - Lando Norris

Racing Point - Lance Stroll

Alfa Romeo - Antonio Giovinazzi

Toro Rosso - Alexander Albon

Chris Medland
F1 journalist in Barcelona

Not the greatest start for Alexander Albon, who fails to complete his first lap in testing. The Toro Rosso rookie drove during a filming day last week but his opening lap here ended in the gravel to instantly bring out a red flag. A bit embarrassing as his team boss Franz Tost and Honda F1 technical director Toyoharu Tanabe were eagerly watching as he pulled out of the garage.

Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc are both out on the track. Hamilton with a 1:25.148, and Leclerc with a 1:42.459 - a remarkably slow time, but it's his first time in the Ferrari after all.

Image source, Reuters

Andrew Benson
BBC Sport’s chief F1 writer

No question over the star of the first day of testing - that was Ferrari and Sebastian Vettel. The German was nearly half a second clear of the field and claiming it was the best first day in a car he had ever had. Which given some of the Red Bulls he had the luxury of driving is saying something.

Expected title rivals Mercedes did their usual - lots of laps, no eye-catching lap times. It hasn’t done them any harm in the past and there is no reason to suspect it will now. Lewis Hamilton said: “It feels quite a bit different compared to last year and we're now getting to know it, trying to understand the balance and trying to understand the characteristics we're working with. It's been a positive first day, we got through our running plan and there's lots for us to learn about the new car which we will be working on.” Technical director James Allison added: “We're reasonably pleased with the handling of the car and the way it is behaving.”

Image source, Reuters

Normal service continues.

Red flagpublished at 08:13 Greenwich Mean Time 19 February 2019

08:13 GMT 19 February 2019

First off of the day... Alex Albon, Toro Rosso's newest member goes off into the gravel between turn four and five... only four corners driven in his new car.

Oh dear.

Yesterday we saw Sebastian Vettel bag 169 laps and sat top of the leaderboard all day. "We couldn't have hoped for a better day... I think it was unbelievable. I'm going to sleep well tonight" he said afterwards.

But it was a good day almost all round, except for Williams who won't be testing until at least Wednesday.