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Charles Leclerc tops practice but Mercedes find speed
Charles Leclerc completed a practice double for Ferrari, topping both sessions on the first day of running ahead of this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix.
The championship leader led a Ferrari 1-2 in first practice, but the stand-out performance was that of Mercedes.
The defending champions have struggled for pace this season, being well behind Ferrari and Red Bull on both speed and results, but an upgraded W13 gave a much-improved showing on Friday.
Mercedes badly need to kick-start their season in Spain, though they previously showed promise on Friday last time around at the Miami Grand Prix before falling away in qualifying.
George Russell - who leads team-mate Hamilton in the championship by 23 points - was second, just 0.117sec off Leclerc's quickest lap with Hamilton a further tenth behind.
Carlos Sainz was fourth, 0.320sec off his team-mate while Alpine's two times world champion Fernando Alonso was fifth and sixth respectively in the sessions.
The Red Bulls of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez were well down on Leclerc's time, 0.336sec and 0.962sec off the ultimate pace.
Russell said he believed Mercedes could retain their form into the weekend."I see no reason why we can't be as far away from the front [in qualifying] as we showed [today]," he said.
Hamilton is already 68 points behind Ferrari's Leclerc, with his dreams of a record-breaking eighth crown all but over for the year.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has indicated Sunday's race will be pivotal in determining whether the world champions continue with their no-sidepod design or try a different concept.
"I'm not a designer, and I wouldn't say I have an opinion on whether the design is right or wrong," said Hamilton, 37.
"It looks a bit different to some others but it looks unique and that's what we stand for as a team - always innovating and coming up with interesting concepts.
"As Toto said we will understand from this weekend whether where we are is the right direction and if not we will move in another direction.
"But it does not mean we have to start from scratch. It will probably be a sidestep in another direction."
04:39 PM
That's all folks
Thanks for joining us for practice today. Join us again tomorrow for qualifying. Can Mercedes show this speed again?
04:24 PM
Lewis Hamilton reacts
It is positive, super happy with progress. I think we are on our way. We still have some bouncing but it is way better.
It is much nicer [to drive] than it has been before. I think we can get it into an even better place than before.
04:16 PM
George Russell reacts
I don't know to be honest [if Mercedes have improved] because in Miami we were quickest on Friday and here we are second so let's see. The car is definitely reacting differently.
We've got different limitations this time. We definitely don't have the porpoising down the straight.
We are still experiencing some (porpoising) in the corners, which you ultimately need to dial out in the corners. And, I think Red Bull still look very, very strong. They look to be the team to be reckoned with but we need to look at the data.
04:13 PM
FP2 classification
Charles LECLERC 1:19.670
George RUSSELL+0.117
Lewis HAMILTON+0.204
Carlos SAINZ+0.320
Max VERSTAPPEN+0.336
Fernando ALONSO+0.533
Sergio PEREZ+0.962
Sebastian VETTEL+1.033
Esteban OCON+1.075
Mick SCHUMACHER+1.087
Pierre GASLY+1.247
Kevin MAGNUSSEN+1.343
Lance STROLL+1.579
Yuki TSUNODA+1.615
Daniel RICCIARDO+1.715
Valtteri BOTTAS+2.158
Guanyu ZHOU+2.196
Alexander ALBON+2.649
Nicholas LATIFI+3.527
Lando NORRIS+3.718
04:04 PM
Chequered flag
Second practice is over. Leclerc's time was not beaten so he completes a practice double by finishing top in both session.
But the improved performance of the Mercedes is the story of the day.
03:56 PM
Slower than pre-season testing...
Interestingly, Russell's fastest time in Barcelona testing three months ago was 1:19.233.
Today he has gone around in 1:19.797.
In comparison, Sainz's fastest was 1:19.990 and today he has gone around in 1:20.072
03:51 PM
"Quite a lot of degradation"
Sainz reports over Ferrari team radio as he drives on the mediums. Sunday is expected to be a two-stop race.
03:46 PM
No more running for Norris
Earlier in the session, Norris had a trip through the gravel and it appears he's damaged his floor.
The McLaren mechanics are trying to repair it but it looks like we won't see the Briton again in the session.
03:43 PM
20 minutes to go
The majority of cars are in the pits. Looks like teams will go for long race runs.
Charles LECLERC 1:19.670
George RUSSELL+0.117
Lewis HAMILTON+0.204
Carlos SAINZ+0.320
Max VERSTAPPEN+0.336
Fernando ALONSO+0.533
Sergio PEREZ+0.962
Sebastian VETTEL+1.033
Esteban OCON+1.075
Mick SCHUMACHER+1.087
Pierre GASLY+1.247
Kevin MAGNUSSEN+1.343
Lance STROLL+1.579
Yuki TSUNODA+1.615
Valtteri BOTTAS+2.158
Guanyu ZHOU+2.196
Alexander ALBON+2.649
Daniel RICCIARDO+3.460
Nicholas LATIFI+3.527
Lando NORRIS+3.718
03:36 PM
Hamilton needs a clean lap
Hamilton has been on the back foot against his team mate. But he enters the mix with a 1:19.874.
Are Mercedes back?
03:32 PM
Ferrari on top again
To the delight of the home crowd, Sainz goes quickest with 1:19.990. But he's then topped by Leclerc 1:19.670.
George Russell then get involved with a 1:19.787.
03:24 PM
Soft tyre time!
The drivers are putting on the quickest tyre available to them and going for it.
Verstappen goes top with 1:20.006. He's six tenths ahead of Sebastian Vettel's Aston Martin.
03:20 PM
Data being collected
An incident has been noted between Norris and Schumacher after the McLaren was forced off the track earlier.
The drivers are on medium tyre runs so the pace hasn't matched the speed from first practice yet.
Verstappen leads with a 1:20.932 with Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc behind.
03:15 PM
Green flag
We are racing again after Bottas' car is clear. On the team radio he said: 'Something's broke' as he came to a halt.
03:10 PM
YELLOW FLAG
Bottas has pulled over to the side of the track saying something has broken. This might in fact be a red flag. He has just moved up to sixth.
It's a VSC actually.
03:09 PM
Looks like Norris has had a bit of an off
He comes back into the pits after running wide at turn 7/8.
Hamilton moves back ahead of Russell, now within six-tenths of leader Verstappen.
03:08 PM
Leclerc posts a time good enough for third
He is also within a tenth of Verstappen. Verstappen looking in decent form again on another hot lap. He does not improve, however.
03:05 PM
Verstappen tops the time sheets now
He's ahead of Sainz, Hamilton and Russell now. Perez down to fifth. Only 0.046s between Verstappen and Sainz. Hamilton nearly a second off the Red Bull's pace.
03:04 PM
FP2: Perez leads the way early on
His lap time is 1:22.946 on the medium tyres. Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz also out, though.
03:01 PM
GREEN LIGHT: FP2 begins
A handful of cars out on track early including the Red Bull of Perez.
02:59 PM
Latest: Fernando Alonso has been given a reprimand
That was for impeding Lewis Hamilton in first practice.
02:59 PM
Just a few minutes to go until FP2 begins
Feels quite late in the day for it. Bit later in the day than the qualifying session will run tomorrow. But should be able to learn something from it.
02:48 PM
A couple of first outings for a couple of drivers this afternoon
Sergio Perez steps in to his car after Juri Vips gave it a run in FP1, Alex Albon replaces Nyck de Vries and Guanyu Zhou is back in for Robert Kubica.
02:41 PM
In the mean time, here's the latest from my colleague Tom Cary
Red Bull have accused Aston Martin of copying their car design, with their entire pitwall staging an apparent protest by sitting with green lime flavoured Red Bull drinks cans during first practice in Barcelona.
02:39 PM
Hello again
Welcome back. Second practice in Spain gets going in a little over 20 minutes. Can Ferrari top the timesheets again? Will Mercedes continue their improvement?
01:24 PM
That's all folks
Thanks for joining us. Second practic gets underway at 4pm BST so join us again for that.
01:14 PM
FP1 classification
Charles LECLERC 1:19.828
Carlos SAINZ+0.079
Max VERSTAPPEN+0.336
George RUSSELL+0.762
Fernando ALONSO+0.940
Lewis HAMILTON+0.983
Lando NORRIS+1.451
Pierre GASLY+1.594
Daniel RICCIARDO+1.909
Yuki TSUNODA+1.986
Esteban OCON+2.063
Lance STROLL+2.092
Robert KUBICA+2.147
Kevin MAGNUSSEN+2.261
Mick SCHUMACHER+2.318
Sebastian VETTEL+2.336
Valtteri BOTTAS+2.786
Nyck DE VRIES+3.092
Nicholas LATIFI+3.183
Juri VIPS+4.310
01:08 PM
Update: Aston Martin cleared
The FIA has confirmed that Aston Martin has complied with the regulations, making the new updates legal.
Some teams had queried the changes to the car but it has been given the clear.
01:02 PM
Chequered flag
That's first practice done in Barcelona. Ferrari one-two with Max Verstappen in third.
Did Red Bull show us their full potential? Reasons to be positive for Mercedes with Russell fourth and Hamilton sixth.
12:55 PM
Alonso to visit stewards
Alonso is set for a post-session investigation over impeding Hamilton. The Mercedes was forced off line by the slow moving Alpine.
12:50 PM
Into the final 10 mins
Update from Mercedes - The car is not bouncing. Drivers aren't too happy with the balance. Hamilton had a DRS issue on his run which is the reason for his slower time.
12:44 PM
Latest classification - 45mins
Charles LECLERC 1:19.828
Carlos SAINZ+0.079
Max VERSTAPPEN+0.336
George RUSSELL+0.762
Lewis HAMILTON+0.983
Lando NORRIS+1.451
12:41 PM
Quick reminder
Sergio Perez is not involved in first practice - Estonian racing driver Jüri Vips is in his car and using FP1 as a test day. He's nearly 10 seconds off the pace.
12:34 PM
Soft tyre racing
Cars are coming back onto the track with the red marked softs. Should see some quick times now.
Carlos Sainz sets the early benchmark with 1:19.907
12:30 PM
Something to remember going forward
Halfway through the #FP1 session and the top three (Verstappen, Leclerc and Russell) have all set their best times on the hard tyres. This session, which is likely to be the hottest, is best suited to the hard compound. #Fit4F1
— Pirelli Motorsport (@pirellisport) May 20, 2022
12:29 PM
Fast start by Red Bull
The top 12 cars are in the pits at the moment. Verstappen's sizeable gap over Leclerc will be a concern to their rivals.
12:24 PM
Latest classification - 20mins
Max VERSTAPPEN 1:21.876
Charles LECLERC +0.870
George RUSSELL +0.970
Daniel RICCIARDO +1.135
Pierre GASLY +1.270
Carlos SAINZ +1.301
Fernando ALONSO +1.366
Lando NORRIS+1.481
Lewis HAMILTON +1.489
Yuki TSUNODA +1.671
Lance STROLL +1.961
Esteban OCON +1.984
Nicholas LATIFI+2.329
Nyck DE VRIES+3.725
Robert KUBICA+4.360
Mick SCHUMACHER+6.037
Juri VIPS+7.892
Sebastian VETTEL No time
Valtteri BOTTAS No time
Kevin MAGNUSSEN No time
12:17 PM
BREAKING: Aston Martin under FIA investigation
The FIA launched an investigation into the new Aston Martin upgrades to ensure there was no "reverse engineering" during the development process.
12:15 PM
Encouraging signs for Mercedes
Only 15 minutes into practice so there is still a long way to go BUT the Mercedes is not porpoising.
They aren't amongst the fastest cars though!
12:10 PM
It is very hot...
#FP1 underway at a very warm #SpanishGP (31 degrees ambient and 48 degrees on track). A mixture of hard and medium tyres with @Max33Verstappen @redbullracing leading the way in the early stages.
— Pirelli Motorsport (@pirellisport) May 20, 2022
12:08 PM
Top two set early pace
Verstappen and Leclerc are exchanging fastest times on the hard tyres in the opening stages.
12:02 PM
FP1 is underway
The cars are on the track. Time for some racing!
11:52 AM
All the teams, apart from Haas, have brought updates to Barcelona
Las novedades de cada equipo para Barcelona.
Every team Barcelona's upgrades. #F1 pic.twitter.com/IpPmEuF05j— Albert Fabrega (@AlbertFabrega) May 20, 2022
11:44 AM
Hamilton: 'I haven't spoken to anyone'
Lewis Hamilton has denied claims he was left 'astonished' at reports former F1 race director Michael Masi could make a return to the sport.
I only heard of that story a couple of days ago and I haven't spoken to anyone [about it].
Particularly, I haven't done an interview with that newspaper for at least 10 years.
It's inaccurate but I don't have a particular feeling about it. I've not given it any thought.
I don't know what Mohammed has said. I don't know his story, what his agenda is.
11:29 AM
The weekend schedule
First Practice: 13:00 BST - Friday
Second Practice: 16:00 BST - Friday
Third Practice: 12:00 BST - Saturday
Qualifying: 15:00 BST - Saturday
Race: 14:00 BST - Sunday
11:15 AM
Good afternoon!
Hello and welcome to coverage of first practice for the Spanish Grand Prix at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
As it is his home race, all eyes will be on Carlos Sainz, who is still waiting to win his first grand prix.
The Ferrari driver will be aiming to end his 146-race wait and make his mark on the drivers championship after being outperformed by his team mate Charles Leclerc, who has won two of five races so far and tops the standings at this early stage.
Sainz has always scored points at the Circuit de Catalunya and the last time Ferrari won there it was with a Spanish driver --Fernando Alonso in 2013.
"The goal, as in every other race weekend, is to extract the maximum out of our car and try to win the Grand Prix," said Sainz, who has been on the podium three times this year.
"I know we will receive massive support from every grandstand at the track and I can guarantee the fans maximum effort from myself and from the entire team, to give them plenty to cheer about."
Leclerc is 51 points ahead of Sainz but only 19 clear of Max Verstappen, who has won the last two races in his Red Bull.
The race marks the real start of the European season, despite a race at Italy's Imola circuit last month, and is the point at which teams unveil their updates.
"Hopefully we can keep the momentum going from the last few races with a clean start from Friday onwards," Verstappen said.
Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes are also hopeful of progress after a troubling start to the season.
"A huge amount of hard work has been going on in the factories to unpick the data from Miami and turn it into improvements for Barcelona," said team boss Toto Wolff.
"Having run there in winter testing, albeit with a car that has evolved a lot since then, it will be a good place to correlate the information we have on the current car and we're hopeful that we'll make another step forward."
Hamilton has won six times in Barcelona, including the last five, but hopes of extending that run are slim.
