[Jody Barton]

Well Bottas has shown a little more pace, but they're still clearly carrying a tanker of fuel on board apparently. I really don't think Mercedes are going to do a proper low fuel run at all. Apparently Leclerc's time yesterday was thought to have been done on quite a light car by those in the paddock... but no one thinks the engine was in party mode. Very different sand bagging strategies again this winter from the big 3.

---

Well, they've bolted the C5 tyres onto the Mercedes so we'll get a bit of a clearer picture I guess... First lap a 1:16.569 pretty much spot on 3 tenths down on Leclerc's time, and roughly where my mole thought tyre adjusted Lewis's lap was yesterday. Let's see the times closer to lunch after Bottas has dialed it in, can't read anything into it, but at least Mercedes are looking to learn something about the W10 when it's pushed a bit.

[forzaferrari]

Karun Chandhok: times Fuel & tyre corrected

[PapaofGags]

The latest from Lewis Hamilton's press briefing

"I think the gap [to Ferrari] is potentially half a second. But we don't know because everyone has different engine modes and fuel loads.

"It will be four races before we really know where we stand."

[Jody Barton]

Chandhok's fuel and tyre corrected lap to es look bunkum to me, especially given Bottas' time today. I think my mole was more accurate when he said Lewis's lap was a 1:16.4.

[Monster Hesh]

Today's maximum speeds : 
   1. Räikkönen 320 km / h 
   2. Pérez 320 km / h 
   3. Kvjat 319 km / h 
   4. Sainz 319 km / h 
   5. Bottas 318 km / h 
   6. Verstappen 317 km / h

At face value, its promising to see such close proximity.
When viewing sector speeds, again there is reasonable proximity between everyone's speeds.

---

A nice touch from Williams, acknowledging the whole team for their efforts in getting the car to ready.

[Jody Barton]

Well that's winter testing over for Ferrari with yet another reliability issue. They'll need to sort that out before the start of the season, too many little niggles. Lewis is down to a 1:17.1 on the C4 tyres. Adjusted depending on who you speak to as a 1:15.6 or 1:15.9.

[morini]

Well that's winter testing over for Ferrari with yet another reliability issue. They'll need to sort that out before the start of the season, too many little niggles. Lewis is down to a 1:17.1 on the C4 tyres. Adjusted depending on who you speak to as a 1:15.6 or 1:15.9.

You sure that's right Jody? C4 being the second softest - 1.2 seconds + seems a hell of a lot to me for a single step in softness. Also, VB was in the 1:16.9's on the C4 compound (I think, anyway).

[forzaferrari]

Sky: Hamilton's best time - a 1:17.106 - was posted on the C4s, so the second-fastest tyre available here in Barcelona. For reference, Leclerc, Vettel as well as Mercedes team-mate Bottas, managed 1:16.9 on that compound.

[Jody Barton]

Sorry typed the wrong thing, should be 1:16.5 or 1:16.9. so Lewis is right, they seem about half a second off from Ferrari, but seemingly ahead of RBR by at least a couple of tenths. Interestingly I think the midfield might have moved closer to RBR.

[morini]

Yebbut, no real clues about fuel loads or engine modes so I don't believe any of it. Sorry an all that.

As to Hamiltons comments, if I were him I'd be saying exactly the same thing. Give your opponents a false sense of security and quitely go about your own business. Myself, I'm highly skeptical of the hyperbole, mostly becuase the mid running teams are far (far) to close. They will not be that close in reality, shoot me down in two months if I'm wrong.

Mercedes and Ferrari will pull away from them when reality kicks in at the start of the season. Ferrari may well start out quicker, but whether it's quicker enough to beat Hamilton is another thing ;-)