Barcelona F1 test day two
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Crash
A spin for Valtteri Bottas! He loses the rear of the Mercedes car coming through Turn 13 in the final sector, and turns around. He's back going again all OK though.
Alexander Albon is also now out for Red Bull, having lost a bit of time through the morning due to a seat fit issue in the cockpit. All appears to be resolved now, though.
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Less than three hours to go on the second day of testing, so it's time for a lapcount update.
1 Hamilton 106
2 Grosjean 105
3 Gasly 92
4 Norris 85
5 Raikkonen 83
6 Russell 71
7 Perez 68
8 Albon 59
9 Leclerc 49
10 Ricciardo 41
11 Bottas 16
12 Vettel 15
13 Ocon 10
1 Hamilton 106
2 Grosjean 105
3 Gasly 92
4 Norris 85
5 Raikkonen 83
6 Russell 71
7 Perez 68
8 Albon 59
9 Leclerc 49
10 Ricciardo 41
11 Bottas 16
12 Vettel 15
13 Ocon 10
We've got three cars currently out on-track currently: Norris, Perez, and Raikkonen. All are logging laps on longer runs, in the 1m21s-1m23s range. Bottas heads out to join the party for Mercedes.
It's been a fairly quiet first hour of the afternoon session, all things considered. The track has been mostly half-full, teams have focused on heavier-fuel running, and everyone's still talking about that Mercedes thing anyway.
Ocon comes into the pits after a C2 long run that was largely in the 1m20s margin.
The four-time world champion has completed his first laps in the new Ferrari F1000. It's a big year for the German, as he looks to regain momentum lost in a trying 2019.
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Ocon's first flying lap is a 1m19.201s, which allows him to usurp Vettel from 11th - but only for mere moments, as the Ferrari man responds with a 1m18.864s, likewise on C2s.
Ocon becomes the final driver to head out on track today, completing a first lap on C2s.
Perez's current C2 run is as follows: 1m20.803s, 1m21.391s, 1m21.695s, 1m21.819s, 1m21.889s. Those sure are numbers.
Bottas and Vettel have now returned to the pits, and session leader Perez has the track all to himself.
Vettel is down in the 1m19s on the next two laps, so like Bottas he's gone straight into long-run mode.
Vettel's first flying lap is a 1m20.595s on C2s, putting him ahead of Bottas.
Bottas has had a front wing change, and has already been seen testing Mercedes' new 'DAS' system that's talk of the town in F1 right now.
James Allison sheds light on the DAS system during the lunch-break. We'll have analysis from our technical consultant TIM WRIGHT with you shortly.
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Mercedes technical director James Allison gave a media briefing over the lunch break and explained the intriguing steering device we saw earlier from on-board footage with Lewis Hamilton. It's called 'dual-axis steering' (DAS), and he says the FIA are aware of its existence. 
Vettel starts his Barcelona test programme with a practice start. Only Renault is thus yet to hit 50 laps today, with Ocon still in the pits.
Grosjean, Raikkonen and Norris accompany Bottas out on the track right now, and all four are doing long runs, with Grosjean's the nominal quickest - in the 1m19s-1m20s margin on C3 tyres.
Two more 1m21s laps from Bottas, who's now lowered his personal best to a 1m21.260s. Meanwhile, Vettel - who skipped Wednesday due to feeling unwell - is climbing into the Ferrari.
It's a very minor improvement from Bottas the second time by. He looks to be going into race running straight away.
Bottas' first flying lap is a 1m21.484s on C1s, four seconds off Perez's benchmark.
Bottas, who has taken over from Hamilton, kicks off his day with a practice start.
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Norris is doing what looks like a really high-fuel run, as he completes several laps in the high-1m23s/low-1m24s bracket. Perez now joins him on track and likewise goes over the 50-lap mark.
Alone on track, Norris takes McLaren over the 50-lap mark for the day. Only Racing Point, Renault - which will have Ocon taking over for Ricciardo in this session - and Ferrari are yet to do so.
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Of course, for those wondering which future Jordan driver topped a Barcelona testing session for Prost on this day in 1999, the answer was Jarno Trulli. He would qualify ninth for the GP, but retired on lap one in a collision with Jean Alesi's Sauber.
Norris kicks things off again, as he had done in the morning. He's on a set of C2s.
Green flag
Testing has resumed in Barcelona, and we're officially over the halfway point in the first three-day test.
This is roughly the point at which we saw Hamilton activate the steering mode, just after heading onto the main straight
Here's a closer look at the steering wheel from GIORGIO PIOLA while the Mercedes was stationary in the pits
Of course, the main talking point on everyone's mind is Mercedes' steering mode. Technical expert GIORGIO PIOLA got his camera out to illustrate the movement that is taking place.
If you're just joining us for testing coverage, where have you been? No matter, though - our team on the ground can bring you right up to speed with what's happened so far, starting with this recap from day one.
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Perez's time is 0.371s slower than Hamilton's benchmark time from day one.
So that's it for the first half of running on Thursday - Sergio Perez tops the times so far for Racing Point.
Checkered flag
Gasly completes his 77th flag and takes the chequered flag.
Gasly will bring the session to an end - he's the only driver left on on the track.
Under three minutes to go in the morning running.
By: Geoff Creighton
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