F1 - General discussion and 2017

We haven't seen nine of the cars since they were pushed back in to the garages at the end of the morning session.

Sergio Perez is, however, up to five laps in this stint for Force India.
 
Stroll's out for a Lance. Doesn't work that way round, does it? Anyway, two cars out on track. What fun.
 
And now Wehrlein's on track in the Sauber.

Wehrlein winds up for his first flying lap.
We've also got Hamilton on track in the Mercedes for the first time.
 
Multiple cars on track including a Mercedes.
Time to stop fooling around and crank this commentary up.
Come for the jokes, stay for the info.

Soft tyres and Wehrlein's onto the board with a 1m25.143s.
 
Hamilton improves significantly next time through and posts a 1m21.319s. He's up to eighth.
 
Wehrlein's personal best is lowered to 1m24.940s.

1 Raikkonen Ferrari 1m18.634s
2 Verstappen Red Bull 1m19.438s
3 Sainz Toro Rosso 1m19.837s
4 Bottas Mercedes 1m19.845s
5 Hulkenberg Renault 1m19.885s
6 Perez Force India 1m20.116s
7 Stroll Williams 1m20.335s
8 Hamilton Mercedes 1m21.319s
9 Grosjean Haas 1m21.429s
10 Ericsson Sauber 1m21.670s
11 Alonso McLaren 1m22.731s
12 Wehrlein Sauber 1m25.143s
Massa Williams No time
Palmer Renault No time
 
Hamilton improves, but cool your jets fans – his latest ultra-soft lap is a 1m21.020s. Still eighth. Onto his sixth lap.
 
Hamilton back in the pits. We trade a Mercedes for a Toro Rosso as Sainz emerges.
 
Carlo Sainz also on track now for Toro Rosso after vaulting up the timesheets in the closing stages of the morning to clock the third-quickest lap and the team's best of the winter.

It was a reasonably handy time from the STR12 on ultrasofts, which certainly looks the part for F1 2017 even if the team's winter has included too much time spent in the garage than they'd have liked.

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Hamilton heads back out in the Mercedes with one hour of the afternoon session in the book.

Not much change from the lunchtime lap count but here's an update:

1 Raikkonen (48)
2 Verstappen (33)
3 Sainz (44)
4 Bottas (53)
5 Hulkenberg (45)
6 Perez (65)
7 Stroll (72)
8 Hamilton (6)
9 Grosjean (44)
10 Ericsson (59)
11 Alonso (19)
12 Wehrlein (10)

1 Raikkonen Ferrari 1m18.634s
2 Verstappen Red Bull 1m19.438s
3 Sainz Toro Rosso 1m19.837s
4 Bottas Mercedes 1m19.845s
5 Hulkenberg Renault 1m19.885s
6 Perez Force India 1m20.116s
7 Stroll Williams 1m20.335s
8 Hamilton Mercedes 1m21.319s
9 Grosjean Haas 1m21.429s
10 Ericsson Sauber 1m21.670s
11 Alonso McLaren 1m22.731s
12 Wehrlein Sauber 1m24.940s
Massa Williams No time
Palmer Renault No time
 
Hamilton sets a personal best time in the first sector, but his middle and third sectors are a little slower. Still, it's an overall improvement – to a 1m20.705s.

Palmer emerges in the Renault having taken over duties from Hulkenberg. Hopefully the beleaguered Brit gets some proper running.
 
Palmer's ahead of Wehrlein on the leaderboard after a 1m24.293s.

Raikkonen's appeared in the Ferrari for the first time this afternoon, but a lap later rolls through the pitlane doing some burnouts. Appears the other side. Perez, Hamilton, Grosjean, Palmer and Wehrlein are also on track.
 
The Haas of Romain Grosjean is also out on track and they need the mileage today after two stoppages before lunch.

By all accounts, it appears that the team's bugbear of 2016 - uncooperative brakes - has returned with a vengeance. The team have also found the VF-17's handling to become more difficult in the warmer conditions of the afternoon here in Spain.

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Palmer improves his best time in the Renault, to a 1m23.953s.

Wehrlein and Hamilton will surpass Alonso's morning tally before long. Pascal will get there first on this form – 14 laps and counting.

Alonso had 19 laps to his name after four hours of "running" included two red stoppages.
 
Hamilton's back on track in the Mercedes after spending just over 10 minutes in the garage.

Wehrlein has pit in the Sauber, and his inlap takes him to Alonso's morning tally of 19 laps.
 
Guessing this is the start of a race simulation for Raikkonen. If so, here are the lap times:

1:24.510; 1:24.724; 1:25.040; 1:26.925; 1:25.455; 1:25.581; 1:25.647; 1:25.588
 
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