F1 LIVE: Latest Spanish Grand Prix qualifying results as Max Verstappen takes pole with Lewis Hamilton fifth

The Formula 1 roadshow reaches Barcelona after Red Bull’s Max Verstappen survived a mid-race downpour to win the Monaco Grand Prix ahead of Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso last weekend.

The Dutchman now leads Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez in the drivers’ championship by 39 points after the Mexican had a disastrous, point-less weekend.

Fernando Alonso came second in Monaco and will be eyeing a 33rd F1 victory - and his first for 10 years - at his home race as the paddock takes to the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya for the Spanish Grand Prix.

Verstappen set the early pace on Friday, topping both practice sessions in Barcelona, and topped the table once again in a rain-affected final practice. Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton finished third in FP3 and will be eyeing an improved weekend in his revamped cars.

Follow all the action from Barcelona as the teams go through their final practice run and qualifying:

SPANISH GRAND PRIX

• F1 gears up in Barcelona with final practice and qualifying ahead of Sunday’s race

• Fernando Alonso eyes statement home victory, a decade on from his last triumph

• Verstappen tops rain-affected FP3, with Perez and Hamilton second and third

• Hamilton sets the fastest Q1 time as Leclerc suffers shock elimination

• George Russell and Sergio Perez eliminated in Q2 as Verstappen leads

• Max Verstappen takes first Barcelona pole with Hamilton fifth

Spanish Grand Prix: Full results

16:24 , Ben Fleming

Here is how things line up ahead of tomorrow’s race:

Spanish Grand Prix: Lando Norris into the top three

16:22 , Ben Fleming

A great day for McLaren who have a spot in the top three courtesy of Britain’s Lando Norris.

Speaking after his excellent qualifying performance, he said: “I’m surprised to be here. Amazing job to get P3, almost P2. It’s a home race for Carlos so I thought I’d give him a couple of tenths.

“I’m very happy. To be in P3 was quite nice. The whole of qualifying we were quite quick, so all good.

“It was a difficult qualifying, but in these conditions, we always seem to do well. It seemed to suit me.”

Spanish Grand Prix: Verstappen takes pole!

16:19 , Ben Fleming

Verstappen speaks having secured pole:

“The car was really good. Qualifying was really tricky with the weather but once it started to dry out, and in Q3, the car was on rails. It was really enjoyable to drive today.

“I love coming to Barcelona, I love the track, I love the fans - they love racing. I have a lot of great memories here and hopefully tomorrow we can have another one.”

Spanish Grand Prix: Full qualifying results

16:17 , Ben Fleming

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

2. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)

3. Lando Norris (McLaren)

4. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)

5. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)

6. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)

7. Esteban Ocon (Alpine)

8. Nico Hulkenberg (Haas)

9. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)

10. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)

Spanish Grand Prix: Not to be for Alonso

16:15 , Ben Fleming

Alonso had plenty of work done to his Aston Martin car but he could only finish ninth in front of his home crowd.

Gasly sits in fourth but that could be subject to movement as he’s under investigation. Hamilton briefly had a spot in the top three but he has to settle with fifth heading into Sunday.

Verstappen takes pole!

16:13 , Ben Fleming

A huge time for Verstappen is unable to be bested by any of the other drivers and he takes pole with a time of 1:12.272! Blistering stuff from the reigning champ.

Carlos Sainz flies up to the second with his final lap to take a spot on the front row and what about Lando Norris! There are plenty of celebrations in the McLaren pit after a fantastic qualifying performance from the Brit sees him in third.

Spanish Grand Prix: Q3 Qualifying

16:07 , Ben Fleming

Hulkenberg moves up into the front row and he sits just under a second behind Verstappen. Alonso the only driver yet to register a Q3 time.

Spanish Grand Prix: Q3 Qualifying

16:03 , Ben Fleming

Norris isn’t in second for long as Hamilton shoots up alongside Verstappen with a 1:13.196. Hugely impressive stuff from the Brit considering the collision that occurred with Russell right at the end of Q2.

Spanish Grand Prix: Q3 Qualifying

16:02 , Ben Fleming

1:12.272 from Verstappen! Wow, that will be hard to beat. Lando Norris maintains second with a 1:13.544 but a massive 1.3 second margin between the pair.

Q3 underway!

16:00 , Ben Fleming

Verstappen leads as we enter the final ten minutes of qualifying - he’s searching for his first pole in Barcelona. Norris sits in second with Sainz in third as things stand.

Spanish Grand Prix: Q2 Qualifying

15:55 , Ben Fleming

Alongside Perez and Russell, Q2 sees the elimination of Zhou Guanyu, Nyck De Vries and Yuki Tsunoda.

Russell and Hamilton colide

15:53 , Ben Fleming

Wow! Replays show George Russell and Lewis Hamilton - Mercedes teammates - coming together on the final lap. It doesn’t appear that Russell knew Hamilton was there but there looks like there is damage on the latter’s car.

“That’s really dangerous,” Hamilton says over the team radio.

Perez and Russell out in Q2!

15:52 , Ben Fleming

More drama as we end Q2 as more big names exit - this time it is Red Bull’s Sergio Perez and Mercedes’ George Russell.

Perez made a huge mistake on his penultimate lap as he spun into the gravel. That ultimately hampered his final lap attempt to escape the drop.

Spanish Grand Prix: Q2 Qualifying

15:51 , Ben Fleming

What a lap from Norris! He moves up into second and he’s away from the drop and just 0.016 seconds of Verstappen.

His teammate Piastri moves into sixth. A huge set of final laps for the McLaren pair. Russell into the drop as things stand.

Spanish Grand Prix: Q2 Qualifying

15:49 , Ben Fleming

Perez out on the track in new soft tyres but he spins into the gravel! Just a minute to go and he sits in ninth, dangerously close to the drop.

Spanish Grand Prix: Q2 Qualifying

15:46 , Ben Fleming

Five minutes to go with Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, Nyck De Vries, Yuki Tsunoda and Nico Hulkenberg currently occupying the bottom-five spots.

Spanish Grand Prix: Q2 Qualifying

15:43 , Ben Fleming

Russell moves into sixth and is 0.687 but his teammate Hamilton rockets up into second and is the only the second driver to clock a sub 1:13 time in Q2. He sits two tenths behind Verstappen.

Russell feeds back to the team radio: “Struggling so much here. The car is bouncing all over the place. Just no confidence with the tyres.” Hardly encouraging from the Brit.

Spanish Grand Prix: Q2 Qualifying

15:42 , Ben Fleming

Hamilton finding some good times in the first part of the track but pulls out as Strolls goes past.

Alonso sets the second fastest time with 1:13.270. Ocon makes up the top three.

Spanish Grand Prix: Q2 Qualifying

15:39 , Ben Fleming

Verstappen was first out and made the most of it - he now leads after a 1:12.760 lap. Perez jumps up the leaderboard into second with a 1:13.614.

Q2 underway!

15:37 , Ben Fleming

15 minutes to go in Q2 as Red Bull get out first.

More trouble for Gasly

15:36 , Ben Fleming

The Frenchman was in trouble when he impeded Sainz earlier and a similar situation unfolded with Verstappen towards the end of Q1.

Alonso seemed to reckon it was a penalty-worthy offence when speaking to his team radio. We await official confirmation but it doesn’t look good for Gasly.

Lucky escape for Sergio

15:35 , Ben Fleming

Leclerc suffered a shock exit and he was nearly followed by Red Bull’s Sergio Perez who narrowly escaped the drop, finishing 15th.

Spanish Grand Prix: Q1 Qualifying

15:31 , Ben Fleming

Joining Leclerc in exiting after Q1 are Valterri Bottas, Kevin Magnussen, Alex Albon and Logan Sargaent.

Leclerc out in Q1!

15:29 , Ben Fleming

Checkered flag - what a dramatic Q1! Norris and Russell were briefly into the bottom five but rescued it with huge final laps to move into second and third.

Hamilton set the fastest lap with his final lap with a time of 1:12.937.

All that means that last year’s pole-getter in Barcelona, Charles Leclerc is out. Who could have predicted that?

Spanish Grand Prix: Q1 Qualifying

15:27 , Ben Fleming

Gasly takes the lead with a 1:13.471 - impressive stuff from the Frenchman! Albon moves out of the danger zone and goes into fifth.

Spanish Grand Prix: Q1 Qualifying

15:26 , Ben Fleming

Lance Stroll moves up int third and is just 0.151 seconds behind Verstappen. Perez eases his concerns greatly and is up into fourth and out of the elimination zone.

Spanish Grand Prix: Q1 Qualifying

15:25 , Ben Fleming

Just two minutes to go in Q1 and Perez and Leclerc remain in the drop zone. Sargent, Albon and Tsunoda are also facing elimination as well.

Spanish Grand Prix: Q1 Qualifying

15:22 , Ben Fleming

“There is something wrong with my rear tyres,” Leclerc says and he currently sits in the drop zone with five minutes to go.

George Russell was there briefly but he’s now up into eighth and momentarily away from trouble.

Spanish Grand Prix: Q1 Qualifying

15:21 , Ben Fleming

Ocon had an impressive set of practices on Friday and he’s up into fourth. De Vries had a yellow flag earlier but he’s into seventh now after an impressive lap.

Spanish Grand Prix: Q1 Qualifying

15:20 , Ben Fleming

Sainz and Gasly nearly had a coming together moments ago after Gasly had let through Sainz’s teammate. An investigation is set to take place after qualifying.

Spanish Grand Prix: Q1 Qualifying

15:19 , Ben Fleming

Piastri up into second with Hamilton moving alongside him into third and just 0.385 seconds behind Verstappen.

Spanish Grand Prix: Q1 Qualifying

15:17 , Ben Fleming

A brief yellow flag for Nyck de Vries after another spin but nothing more than that. “What am I doing wrong there,” he says into his team radio. Whatever it is, he needs to figure it out or face elimination in Q1.

Spanish Grand Prix: Q1 Qualifying

15:16 , Ben Fleming

Back underway in Q1 with Leclerc and Sainz posting early scores but it’s Verstappen into the lead with a 1:13.660.

Spanish Grand Prix: Q1 Qualifying

15:13 , Ben Fleming

A few pictures from the early spin-outs, with a couple of drivers reporting back to their teams that turn 12 was the slippery customer.

The gravel has been cleared and we’re just moments away from the restart.

Spanish Grand Prix: Q1 Qualifying

15:11 , Ben Fleming

It seems that the red flag was due to the gravel on the track, most likely brought on by Albon and Bottas when the pair resumed the track having spun out into the gravel.

Just seven drivers managed to post a lap time before the flag - Gasly with the temporary lead (1:14.618).

Spanish Grand Prix: Q1 Qualifying

15:09 , Ben Fleming

The time is paused at 14:13 and all the drivers are now back in the pits. Certainly some trickier conditions out there than many of the drivers perhaps expected.

RED FLAG! Bottas spins out

15:05 , Ben Fleming

It’s an early red flag as Bottas gets into trouble in turn 10 but he’s back underway. Unclear whether the red flag will remain.

Elsewhere, plenty of trouble with cars spinning out of control as Albon, Alonso are just two of the drivers to lose control and scupper their first-lap efforts.

Spanish Grand Prix: Q1 Qualifying

15:04 , Ben Fleming

Yuki Tsunoda with an early spin into turn 12 - that’s a poor start from here as he looks to bank an early time. “Rain is coming,” says Russell via the team radio.

And we’re off!

15:01 , Ben Fleming

The drivers are ready and qualifying is underway in Q1!

Spots of rain

14:57 , Ben Fleming

And right on cue, a small bit of rain begins to fall. In FP3, Lando Norris showed that you could navigate a slightly slippery course on the slicks, but if it gets heavier the teams will undoubtedly look to turn to the intermediaries.

Expect almost all the drivers to get out early as soon as qualifying begins while the rain is still light.

10 minutes to go

14:49 , Ben Fleming

Not very long to go until qualifying gets underway for the Spanish Grand Prix. It still appears dry in Barcelona but the forecast has been nothing if not unpredictable so that will be one to watch out for.

Plenty of car updates

14:44 , Ben Fleming

We saw plenty of these changes in action during practice yesterday, but a reminder of the car updates put forward by each team ahead of this race week in Barcelona.

Aston Martin - Front wing, front wing endplate, nose, rear wing endplate, beam wing.

Ferrari - Rear wing, engine cover, floor body.

Alpha Tauri - Rear wing, rear wing endplate.

Red Bull - Floor edge, diffuser.

Williams - Front wing, engine cover.

Mercedes - Sidepod, diffuser.

McLaren - Front cover.

What are the changes to the track at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya?

14:37 , Ben Fleming

This year will see a slight change to the ending of this Barcelona track. Here’s a detailed look at those changes:

Spanish Grand Prix: Verstappen eyes back-to-back poles

14:31 , Ben Fleming

This Barcelona track will do well to serve up a qualifying session as dramatic as the one we saw last week in Monaco. On that day, Verstappen edged out Alonso with a dramatic final-lap display and the reigning champion will be eyeing a repeat performance as he looks to claim another pole position ahead of Sunday’s race.

Spanish Grand Prix: Can Alonso find number 33?

14:27 , Ben Fleming

Fernando Alonso has enjoyed a much-improved season with Aston Martin this year and heads to his home race after another solid performance in Monaco.

In that race, the veteran Spaniard was second behind Verstappen - can he go one better this time?

Spanish Grand Prix: Final practice recap

14:24 , Ben Fleming

Part of the delay in final practice was due to Logan Sargent’s early crash heading into the final corner. The American was fine following the incident with the Williams garage now looking to get the car back in tip-top condition before qualifying.

Spanish Grand Prix: Final practice recap

14:23 , Ben Fleming

And here are the rest of the top ten from that FP3:

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) 1:13.664

2. Sergio Perez (Red Bull) +0.250s

3. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) +0.408s

4. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) +0.576s

5. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) +0.600s

6. George Russell (Mercedes) +0.614s

7. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +0.689s

8. Valterri Bottas (Alfa Romeo) +0.696s

9. Yuki Tsunoda (Alpha Tauri) +0.995s

10. Lando Norris (McLaren) +1.017s

Spanish Grand Prix: Final practice recap

14:17 , Ben Fleming

For those who missed it, it was a rain-affected final practice this morning. Max Verstappen set the fastest time before a red flag and rain led to a hugely interrupted session with Perez and Hamilton second and third behind the reigning champ.

Max Verstappen tops rain-hit final practice for Spanish Grand Prix

Spanish Grand Prix: Qualifying

14:09 , Ben Fleming

We have just under an hour to go until qualifying begins and the weather doesn’t appear to have subsided in the interval. The fans in the crowd may be feeling the effects but they could be rewarded with an interesting qualy session in testing conditions.

Guenther Steiner summoned to stewards following criticism of F1 officials

14:00 , Ben Fleming

Haas F1 team principal Guenther Steiner has been summoned to the stewards following his outburst at the standard of officiating in Formula One.

Steiner, 58, described a five-second penalty handed to Nico Hulkenberg at last weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix as “completely wrong” before calling for an overhaul of the FIA’s current model.

Four officials from a rotating pool steward every Grand Prix and at least one of those will be a former driver who has raced at a competitive level.

Guenther Steiner summoned to stewards following criticism of F1 officials

Fernando Alonso eyes statement home victory, a decade on from his last triumph

13:50 , Ben Fleming

How different did 2013 really look in the life of Fernando Alonso? Driving a competitive car, buoyed by thousands of Spanish supporters, the two-time Formula One world champion looked – in eagerness bordering on desperation – to haul in the championship lead of a Red Bull driver out in front.

Sound familiar? A decade on, the tune of the day feels decidedly identical.

Yet plenty has happened in the 10 years in between. Alonso has loved, left and fallen back in love with the sport. Red Bull’s champion of the day back then, Sebastian Vettel, would wrap up the 2013 world title, the last of four crowns. By the end of last year the German, six years younger than Alonso no less, retired and vacated an Aston Martin seat swallowed up by the Spaniard. Now Red Bull’s de facto No 1 is Max Verstappen, who incredibly 10 years ago at 15 years of age was just 18 months away from his F1 debut.

Fernando Alonso eyes statement home victory, a decade on from his last triumph

Constructors’ Championship

13:40 , Ben Fleming

1) Red Bull - 249 points

2) Aston Martin - 120 points

3) Mercedes - 119 points

4) Ferrari - 90 points

5) Alpine - 35 points

6) McLaren - 17 points

7) Haas - 8 points

8) Alfa Romeo - 6 points

9) AlphaTauri - 2 points

10) Williams - 1 point

Driver Standings

13:35 , Ben Fleming

1) Max Verstappen - 144 points

2) Sergio Perez - 105 points

3) Fernando Alonso - 93 points

4) Lewis Hamilton - 69 points

5) George Russell - 50 points

6) Carlos Sainz - 48 points

7) Charles Leclerc - 42 points

8) Lance Stroll - 27 points

9) Esteban Ocon - 21 points

10) Pierre Gasly - 14 points

11) Lando Norris - 12 points

12) Nico Hulkenberg - 6 points

13) Oscar Piastri - 5 points

14) Valtteri Bottas - 4 points

15) Zhou Guanyu - 2 points

16) Yuki Tsunoda - 2 points

17) Kevin Magnussen - 2 points

18) Alex Albon - 1 point

19) Nyck de Vries - 0 points

20) Logan Sargeant - 0 points

Lewis Hamilton says he will ‘struggle to get into top 10’ at Spanish Grand Prix

13:25 , Ben Fleming

It was a less-than-impressive first day of practice for Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton and the Brit is unsure whether his car will be able to propel him into a top 10 position ahead of Sunday’s race.

Before stepping into his cockpit this weekend, Hamilton admitted that his team’s much-anticipated upgrade, which made its debut in Monaco a week ago, had not provided the magic fix he was hoping for.

And on his new machine’s second outing at a track where the Silver Arrows said they would obtain a greater understanding of their upgrades, the evidence suggests they are no closer to taking on the mighty Red Bull, or leapfrogging rivals Aston Martin and Ferrari.

Lewis Hamilton says he will ‘struggle to get into top 10’ at Spanish Grand Prix

F1 live streams: Link to watch Spanish Grand Prix qualifying online

13:15 , Ben Fleming

All the information you need to know about how to watch qualifying later on today:

F1 live stream: How to watch Spanish GP qualifying online

All eyes on qualifying

13:05 , Ben Fleming

With final practice in the books, all eyes turn to the qualifying session later this afternoon. The weather forecast looks to be a bit clearer but that remains to be seen.

It certainly promises to be an intriguing affair given how little information we were able to garner from that rain-affected FP3.

Stay tuned for all the build-up until then...

Spanish Grand Prix: Final practice recap

13:01 , Ben Fleming

Here are the full standings from final practice:

Spanish Grand Prix: Final practice recap

12:59 , Ben Fleming

Max Verstappen finished fastest in a rain-hit final practice session for the Spanish Grand Prix.

Verstappen completed his speediest time in the early minutes before it started drizzling at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya.

The double world champion finished two-tenths clear of Sergio Perez in the other Red Bull, with Lewis Hamilton third, four-tenths back.

Max Verstappen tops rain-hit final practice for Spanish Grand Prix

Steiner - “I don’t know what I’ve done this time”

12:49 , Ben Fleming

The Haas F1 team principal has been summoned by the officials following his outburst at the standard of officiating in Formula One.

Speaking to Sky Sports moments ago, he said: “I don’t know what I’ve done this time.

“I take these things seriously and I will have to tell them my opinion about it.

“The penalty we got, I had an opinion on that, and obviously, I voiced it, so that’s what it must be about.

“I still need to see as well therefore, I don’t want to jump to a conclusion. I respectfully wait for it.”

FP3 final standings

12:37 , Ben Fleming

Not sure what we can take from these standings but here are the fastest laps from FP3. Verstappen tops the leaderboard for a third successive practice with his first lap before the red flag and the rain came in.

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) 1:13.664

2. Sergio Perez (Red Bull) +0.250s

3. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) +0.408s

4. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) +0.576s

5. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) +0.600s

6. George Russell (Mercedes) +0.614s

7. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +0.689s

8. Valterri Bottas (Alfa Romeo) +0.696s

9. Yuki Tsunoda (Alpha Tauri) +0.995s

10. Lando Norris (McLaren) +1.017s

Done and dusted for final practice

12:33 , Ben Fleming

Well, certainly one of the more unusual practice sessions we’re likely to see. Rain-affected and not many laps under the belt for plenty of the drivers.

Spanish Grand Prix: Final practice

12:32 , Ben Fleming

An interesting back-and-forth between Verstappen and his team. He doesn’t seem keen to push the car in the final few minutes of the session but his team want him out there.

“I don’t feel comfortable pushing in these conditions. I think it’s a waste.

“I don’t give a f*** what everyone else is doing.”

Hamilton heads out

12:29 , Ben Fleming

Just under three minutes left and Hamilton is finally on the track again. Let’s see what the Mercedes driver conjures up.

A quick look at the tyres shows that many have followed Lando Norris’ lead - almost everyone out there is currently on the slicks.

Guenther Steiner summoned to stewards following criticism of F1 officials

12:28 , Ben Fleming

Something to monitor as practice draws to a close regarding Haas F1 team principal Guenther Steiner, who has been summoned to the stewards following his outburst at the standard of officiating in Formula One.

Steiner, 58, described a five-second penalty handed to Nico Hulkenberg at last weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix as “completely wrong” before calling for an overhaul of the FIA’s current model.

Four officials from a rotating pool steward every Grand Prix and at least one of those will be a former driver who has raced at a competitive level.

Guenther Steiner summoned to stewards following criticism of F1 officials

Spanish Grand Prix: Final practice

12:26 , Ben Fleming

Brave from Norris who is the only driver out there on the softs. A ballsy move with little time remaining but it looks like he’s doing well out there and posts a 1:21:621, a faster time than anyone on the inters.

The Brit then complains about the breaks over the radio but a productive couple of laps from the McLaren driver.

Spanish Grand Prix: Final practice

12:21 , Ben Fleming

Bradley Lord, Mercedes’ communications director, confirms what we thought earlier.

“It’s on the borderline a bit too dry for this inter at the moment. Hamilton is watching from the garage and is ready to hop into the car when he feels it’s time to do it.”

The rain is perhaps not heavy enough for the intermediate tyres but the slicks probably don’t provide enough grip with what rain we have. A catch-22 situation for the teams to negotiate.

Spanish Grand Prix: Final practice

12:19 , Ben Fleming

“It feels quite dry,” Albon relays back to his team. Meanwhile, Hamilton is shown on camera out of his car. With just 12 minutes left, you wonder whether he’ll be back on the track before the end of practice.

Spanish Grand Prix: Final practice

12:17 , Ben Fleming

“It’s definitely raining, the track just doesn’t seem that wet,” says Russell over the team radio. Some interesting conditions out here in Barcelona it would seem.

Spanish Grand Prix: Final practice

12:15 , Ben Fleming

A couple of tricky moments for Leclerc towards the end of the track - it appears that is where the trouble will be if it remains wet. Meanwhile, a few more cars head out of their pits with just over 15 minutes left in the final practice session.

Ferrari head out

12:10 , Ben Fleming

Sainz and Leclerc now out on the track as they look to get a few laps under their belt. Both with the intermediate tyres.

Spanish Grand Prix: Final practice

12:09 , Ben Fleming

Replays show how tough it was for Norris on that one-lap experiment. Probably explains why he’s back in the pits but we’re expecting a flurry of late action as drivers look to get at least a couple of laps under their belt in these wetter conditions ahead of what looks like being a wet qualifying session.

And we’re back...sort of

12:04 , Ben Fleming

Lando Norris is on the track but the rain looks like it’s getting heavier and he heads straight back into the pit. Nobody else yet to brave the conditions.

Under half an hour left

12:02 , Ben Fleming

Still no cars back on the track with under 30 minutes left of final practice. It certainly could add some mystery to qualifying if we don’t get to see much more racing ahead of then.

Spanish Grand Prix: Final practice

11:58 , Ben Fleming

The rain appears to be quite unpredictable at the minute which probably explains why nobody has come back out again. If the rain gets thicker, then it’s an easy decision to switch to the wet or intermediate tyres but as it is, those tyres don’t make sense.

If cars go out in the slicks, though, and it does get heavier, they run the risk of damaging the cars before the crucial qualifying later today.

Spanish Grand Prix: Final practice

11:55 , Ben Fleming

We have a green flag but no one has emerged from their pits yet. Around 36 minutes left in this final practice.

Spanish Grand Prix: Final practice

11:48 , Ben Fleming

The red flag has been cleared so we’re expecting the cars to be out there again shortly. A quick recap of the early times:

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) - 1:13.664

2. Sergio Perez (Red Bull) +0.250

3. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) +0.408

4. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) +0.576

5. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) +0.600

Spanish Grand Prix: Final practice

11:46 , Ben Fleming

Leclerc, Hamilton and Norris all confirm over their respective team radios that the rain has begun to come down.

Spanish Grand Prix: Final practice

11:45 , Ben Fleming

Thankfully for Williams, the gravel did a good job of slowing the car down before it collided with the wall but there will still be work to be done in the garage to get it back in shape ahead of qualifying in a few hours.

Spanish Grand Prix: Final practice

11:43 , Ben Fleming

“I’m sorry,” Sargent says as he clambers out of his Williams. Replays show the American lost his rear slightly heading into that final turn before clipping the kerb and coming to a stop in the far wall over the gravel.

Spanish Grand Prix: Final practice

11:40 , Ben Fleming

RED FLAG! Williams’ Logan Sargeant is in the wall on the final corner. He’s out of his car and confirms over team radio that he is okay.

Spanish Grand Prix: Final practice

11:39 , Ben Fleming

Carlos Sainz, the other Spaniard in the field, is up in fourth but still over half a second behind Verstappen.

Spanish Grand Prix: Final practice

11:38 , Ben Fleming

“Driveability is not great,” says Hamilton over the team radio. Unclear as to whether that is conditions with rain starting to trickle in or the car at this stage.

Spanish Grand Prix: Final practice

11:36 , Ben Fleming

Sergio Perez sets the early pace with a 1:13.914 before Verstappen clocks in ahead of him at 1:13.664.

Hamilton and Russell sit in third and fourth with Alonso in sixth.

Spanish Grand Prix: Final practice

11:33 , Ben Fleming

And we’re underway for the final practice!

Spanish Grand Prix: Final practice

11:31 , Ben Fleming

It looks like all the drivers are keen to get some laps in before the rain. Plenty of soft tyres on display as the drivers make their way onto the track.

Spanish Grand Prix: Weather update

11:26 , Ben Fleming

There is certainly some concern on the ground with the weather. There are heavy clouds overhead and some reports of lightning in the area. It should be a dry start to practice, but I wouldn’t bet on it ending that way...

Spanish Grand Prix: Friday practice

11:25 , Ben Fleming

We are first approaching final practice here in Barcelona but a reminder of what went down yesterday.

Max Verstappen completed a practice double for Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix as Lewis Hamilton finished only 11th on a disheartening day for the seven-time world champion and his Mercedes team.

As Verstappen predictably set the pace for Red Bull at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya, Hamilton, 12th in the day’s first running, ended second practice six tenths off the pace.

Home favourite Fernando Alonso raised hope that he could challenge Verstappen and his all-conquering Red Bull team after he finished second for Aston Martin, just 0.170 seconds back.

Max Verstappen sets the pace again but little to cheer for Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton says he will ‘struggle to get into top 10’ at Spanish Grand Prix

11:20 , Ben Fleming

It was a less-than-impressive first day of practice for Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton and the Brit is unsure whether his car will be able to propel him into a top 10 position ahead of Sunday’s race.

Before stepping into his cockpit this weekend, Hamilton admitted that his team’s much-anticipated upgrade, which made its debut in Monaco a week ago, had not provided the magic fix he was hoping for.

And on his new machine’s second outing at a track where the Silver Arrows said they would obtain a greater understanding of their upgrades, the evidence suggests they are no closer to taking on the mighty Red Bull, or leapfrogging rivals Aston Martin and Ferrari.

Lewis Hamilton says he will ‘struggle to get into top 10’ at Spanish Grand Prix

Spanish Grand Prix - car updates

11:15 , Ben Fleming

We saw plenty of these changes in action during practice yesterday, but a reminder of the car updates put forward by each team ahead of this race week in Barcelona.

Aston Martin - Front wing, front wing endplate, nose, rear wing endplate, beam wing.

Ferrari - Rear wing, engine cover, floor body.

Alpha Tauri - Rear wing, rear wing endplate.

Red Bull - Floor edge, diffuser.

Williams - Front wing, engine cover.

Mercedes - Sidepod, diffuser.

McLaren - Front cover.

What are the changes to the track at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya?

11:10 , Ben Fleming

Sky Sports takes you through the changes to the track at the Spanish Grand Prix:

Fernando Alonso eyes statement home victory, a decade on from his last triumph

11:05 , Ben Fleming

How different did 2013 really look in the life of Fernando Alonso? Driving a competitive car, buoyed by thousands of Spanish supporters, the two-time Formula 1 world champion looked – in eagerness bordering on desperation – to haul in the championship lead of a Red Bull driver out in front.

Sound familiar? A decade on, the tune of the day feels decidedly identical.

Yet plenty has happened in the 10 years in-between. Alonso has loved, left, and fallen back in love with the sport. Red Bull’s champion-of-the-day back then, Sebastian Vettel, would wrap up the 2013 world title, the last of four crowns. By the end of last year the German, six years younger than Alonso no less, retired and vacated an Aston Martin seat swallowed up by the Spaniard. Now Red Bull’s de facto No 1 is Max Verstappen, who incredibly 10 years ago at 15 years of age was just 18 months away from his F1 debut.

Fernando Alonso eyes statement home victory, a decade on from his last triumph

Monaco Grand Prix

11:00 , Ben Fleming

The rain had been and gone but no abundance of showers could stop Max Verstappen topping up that cake with the sweetest of icing. Cruising to victory out in front as the Monaco Grand Prix reached its crescendo on Sunday, the irrepressible Dutchman did not fancy letting up. So much so that, with six laps to go, the ultimate humiliation very much rained down on his team-mate.

Verstappen lapped Sergio Perez. For the second time.

Powered with an identical car Perez, quite rightly, was being touted as a genuine title contender a month ago. Off the back of two wins – sprint and race – in Baku, the gap was just six points heading into Miami. He didn’t know it at the time but due to the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix’s cancellation, two more street tracks would give the so-called “king of the streets” a perfect opportunity to take the lead.

Ahead of Saturday’s action, have a read of Kieran Jackson‘s report on last week’s Monaco Grand Prix:

Monaco showed mesmeric Max only has one obstacle to title – and it’s not Sergio Perez

Constructors’ Championship

10:55 , Ben Fleming

1) Red Bull - 249 points

2) Aston Martin - 120 points

3) Mercedes - 119 points

4) Ferrari - 90 points

5) Alpine - 35 points

6) McLaren - 17 points

7) Haas - 8 points

8) Alfa Romeo - 6 points

9) AlphaTauri - 2 points

10) Williams - 1 point

Driver Standings

10:50 , Ben Fleming

1) Max Verstappen - 144 points

2) Sergio Perez - 105 points

3) Fernando Alonso - 93 points

4) Lewis Hamilton - 69 points

5) George Russell - 50 points

6) Carlos Sainz - 48 points

7) Charles Leclerc - 42 points

8) Lance Stroll - 27 points

9) Esteban Ocon - 21 points

10) Pierre Gasly - 14 points

11) Lando Norris - 12 points

12) Nico Hulkenberg - 6 points

13) Oscar Piastri - 5 points

14) Valtteri Bottas - 4 points

15) Zhou Guanyu - 2 points

16) Yuki Tsunoda - 2 points

17) Kevin Magnussen - 2 points

18) Alex Albon - 1 point

19) Nyck de Vries - 0 points

20) Logan Sargeant - 0 points

How can I watch it online and on TV?

10:45 , Ben Fleming

The entire race schedule from Barcelona will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1 in the UK and Ireland. Sky’s coverage of the race - which is also on their Main Event channel - on Sunday starts at 12:30pm (BST).

The weekend’s action will be broadcasted on ESPN in the United States.

Free-to-air highlights in the UK will be aired on Channel 4; for qualifying at 7:40pm (BST) on Saturday evening and the race early on Sunday night at 6:30pm.

Sky Sports subscribers can watch all the action in Spain on the Sky Go app. If you’re not a Sky customer you can grab a NOWTV Day Pass here to watch without a subscription.

What is the race schedule?

10:40 , Ben Fleming

(All times BST)

Saturday 3 June

• Free practice 3: 11:30am

• Qualifying: 3pm

Sunday 4 June

• Race: 2pm

Final practice and qualifying at the Spanish Grand Prix

10:35 , Ben Fleming

Welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of Saturday’s final practice and qualifying at the Spanish Grand Prix!

After the eventful and rainy outing at the Monaco Grand Prix last week, the drivers got back behind the wheel for two hour-long practice sessions in Barcelona on Friday.

As predicted, it was Red Bull and Max Verstappen who set the pace, completing a practice double with home-country favourite, Fernando Alonso, finishing second and just 0.170 seconds behind for Aston Martin.

For Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes, it was a disappointing day, with the Brit only managing to finish 11th despite upgrades being made to the car.

FP3 starts at 11:30m, with qualifying at 3pm. Stay right here for all the build-up and updates.