Summary

  • Day seven of eight Formula 1 testing days (final day is Friday)

  • Pierre Gasly crashes in Red Bull to bring out red flags

  • Lewis Hamilton with an early spin in his Mercedes

  • McLaren have been the fastest on Tuesday (Lando Norris) and Wednesday (Carlos Sainz)

  • Get involved: What are the best and worst-looking F1 cars of all time? #bbcf1

Live Reporting

Michael Emons

  1. Albon goes faster as Leclerc moves second

    Charles Leclerc has jumped on to the C4s (the second softest) and now is second in the standings with a 1:17.056.

    But Toro Rosso's Alexander Albon, donning the softest C5s, is still the man to beat, and he's gone even quicker with a 1:16.882.

    Can't wait for Australia in a few weeks and one of the most interesting aspects is seeing how well the rookies get on. Two of them, Albon and Lando Norris, are first and third today.

  2. Get Involved #bbcf1

    Which are the best and worst-looking F1 cars of all time?

    Look away, look away! Some more horrors now...

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    Saud Ahmed: It's either the Arrows A22 or the Caterham of 2014 has to be up with the worse looking F1 cars.

    Peter Hurst: Worst looking car - March 711 , makes the 2014 Caterham look refined.

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    Worst, definitely worst.

  3. Albon reclaims first place

    I asked earlier on who would be the first driver into the 1.16s? That man is Alexander Albon in the Toro Rosso, with a 1:16.981 on the C4s (second softest compound).

    Albon and Norris are having a good battle for top spot, but the Toro Rosso man is the man in possession at the moment.

  4. Andrew Benson
    BBC Sport’s chief F1 writer

    Leclerc has just done a 17.253 on the C2 tyre. That's a new tyre-corrected benchmark for pre-season testing.

    And Bottas says: “They (Ferrari) still seem strong ... I think we do need to unlock more from the new package to be able to compete with them properly”

  5. Less than an hour of the opening session remaining before everyone dashes to get some food at 12:00 GMT.

  6. Fantastic Ferrari

    A great lap from Charles Leclerc takes his Ferrari up to third.

    His time is a lap of 1:17.253, but, probably more importantly, it came on the C2s (the second hardest tyre), while Lando Norris and Pierre Gasly's best efforts have been on the softest compound we have, the C5s.

    Leclerc's time is less than two tenths slower than Norris' leading effort of 1:17.084.

  7. Our leader...

    A few seconds of Lando Norris zooming by for you. He's our leader at the moment, just as he was two days ago.

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  8. Get Involved #bbcf1

    Which are the best and worst-looking F1 cars of all time?

    Here are some more beauties...

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    Bob McFeil: Best looking car of all time? 1992 Williams, of course!

    Craig: As for the best looking car, I’m gonna ignore the obvious like the ‘92 FW14-B and I’m gonna go with the 2012 MP4-27. The chrome looked amazing and they even made a step nose look sleek. I loved it! Sad to see the chrome is no more for McLaren.

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    Loving all these suggestions for best and worst-looking cars. Keep them coming in. We'll keep this chat going throughout the day.

  9. Fun in the sun

    They're at the bottom of the pile time wise today, but some much needed data and time in the car for George Russell and Williams.

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  10. Time check

    1. Lando Norris (McLaren, 1:17.084, 30 laps)
    2. Pierre Gasly (Red Bull, 1:17.091, 33 laps)
    3. Alexander Albon (Toro Rosso, 1:17.426, 40 laps)
    4. Nico Hulkenberg (Renault, 1:17.496, 41 laps)
    5. Lance Stroll (Racing Point, 1:18.000, 29 laps)
    6. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes, 1:18.097, 43 laps)
    7. Kevin Magnussen (Haas, 1:18.199, 51 laps)
    8. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari, 1:18.344, 28 laps)
    9. Antonio Giovinazzi (Alfa Romeo, 1:18.559, 37 laps)
    10. George Russell (Williams, 1:19.232, 26 laps)

    Tyres

    C2 (second hardest) - Stroll, Hamilton

    C3 (medium) - Albon, Leclerc, Giovinazzi

    C4 (second softest) - Russell

    C5 (softest) - Norris, Gasly, Hulkenberg

    Developmental - Magnussen

  11. Get Involved #bbcf1

    Which are the best and worst-looking F1 cars of all time?

    Time for some more stinkers.

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    Al Mackenzie: Worst looking car. The Mclaren from 2008. Surprised Lewis and Alonso could see anything out of it.

    Sam Bowen: In terms of the Bar 1999 they wanted to run two different liveries, but the FIA refused if I remember right, so they cut each car in half and zipped the halves together.

  12. Norris regains top spot

    But not for long! It's only testing, but it's getting competitive. Lando Norris, sporting the C5 softest tyres, again jumps to the top with a 1:17.084.

    Who will be first in the 1.16s?

  13. Albon back to the top

    Yet another change at the top. This time Alexander Albon with a 1:17.480 on the medium C3 tyre. That means Lance Stroll, Lewis Hamilton, Lando Norris and Nico Hulkenberg have all had spells leading the way.

    Albon was fastest early on, and is fastest again.

  14. Reminder of the vote result

    By the way, this year's Alfa Romeo only came third in our vote of best-looking car of 2019.

    Let's just say I'm surprised it only came third.

    Here are the results again in case you missed them.

    Vote result

  15. 'Plenty of action'

    Chris Medland
    F1 journalist in Barcelona

    The end of the pit lane has seen plenty of action so far this morning. Teams regularly carry out practice starts when heading out on track, which means a close look at the cars for the photographers. Usually seeing a car stationary here is normal, but every now and then it signals a problem after a car was released from the garage - usually spotted on telemetry - that then requires a driver to stop.

    In the afternoon session it can be a good indicator of a race simulation, too. Cars will drive through the pit lane as if they are arriving on the grid, so complete burnouts and then pull up at the pit exit to go through the start procedure and launch into their first stint.

    I mention the photographers, and for some it's the perfect spot to get a detailed photo of a specific part of a car, with teams willing to pay for "spy shots" of their rivals to try and understand their designs.

    Pit laneChris Medland

  16. Get Involved #bbcf1

    Which are the best and worst-looking F1 cars of all time?

    Our chief F1 writer Andrew Benson has got involved with our best-looking car of all time debate. He says: "A shout out for the Brabham BT45 (pictured below), and the Ferraris 126C2 and 641."

    Some more of your verdicts...

    Steve: Best looking F1 Cars? Easy, in order, 1993 McLaren MP4/8, 1991 Jordan 191, 1989 Ferrari 640.

    Michael Cooper: Jordan 191. Work of art. Well done Gary Anderson.

    BrabhamGetty Images

    Carlos Reutemann drives the Brabham BT45 Alfa Romeo Flat-12 ahead of Patrick Depailler in the Tyrrell P34 Ford V8 during the British GP on 18 July, 1976 at Brands Hatch

  17. Another change at the top

    Nico Hulkenberg spoils our fun as he goes faster than Lando Norris, with a 1:17.496, although the Hulk has had to put on the softest tyre possible, the C5s, to do so.

    Hulkenberg, Norris, Gasly, Hamilton, Leclerc. That's our top five.

  18. Norris goes fastest!

    Fastest on Tuesday, now fastest again so far on Thursday for Lando Norris. Don't forget his McLaren team-mate Carlos Sainz was quickest yesterday as well.

    McLaren are the surprise package of this week, no doubt about that. It's no wonder Fernando Alonso accepted his role as 'ambassador' yesterday, just in case, you know, for 2020.

    Norris' leading time is 1:17.838 on the C3s, the same tyre as Pierre Gasly, who drops to second.

  19. McLaren fans....

    When I say that you never know if it is going to be good news, or bad news...

  20. Get Involved

    #bbcf1

    James Ward-Gwilliam: When @BBCSport Michael Emons makes you feel old saying it's the first time he has seen the BAR 1999. Steady on Michael I'm only almost 25.

    Put it this way, I dream of being 25 again. Maybe I had just blocked that BAR from 1999 out of my mind and refused to ever remember it again.