F1 Barcelona GP live commentary and updates - FP1

THAT'S IT FROM FP1

Join us again for FP2, which kicks off at 1700 local time.

Piastri now stops for mediums - and it looks like Russell is on the same compound. So just swapping to those to get a read on grip levels during the practice starts at the end of this session.

Russell pits briefly - he may have time to squeeze a lap in.

Piastri also hasn't really been going for it – a reminder that unless there was a glitch in our data feed, he set his fastest time of this session (1m16.566s) on mediums.

Bortoleto complaining on the radio about being sideways everywhere, with "zero grip".

Three minutes remain and Russell hasn't really leaned on the tyres in this stint.

We may have spoken too soon since Verstappen has swapped his mediums for softs.

Gasly pits with a suspected suspension issue. One of the mechanics has a good rummage around the left-front wheel.

So, as it happens, Russell is fastest of all but Piastri was faster than him in the first and third sectors. Got that? Good.

Russell and Piastri head back out on used softs so it may be that we're not done with the qualifying simulations yet.

Leclerc, though, is probably finished in that regard because he's just come out on mediums.

Fornaroli gets his chance to do a push lap on softs - 1m17.216s is good for P5, displacing Aron, but still 0.853s off Russell.

Verstappen now circulating on mediums so it looks like his 1m17.047s on those softs will stand as his fastest lap of this session.

F1 now looking at its own procedures after the Monaco pitlane measurement blunder.

Aron clocks a 1m17.321s (the Ted Rogers fraction) to go P5.

ICYMI, ADUO has been a bone of contention this week as it was revealed Red Bull has the benchmark internal combustion engine. A protest about this was as inevitable as Christmas.

NEWSFLASH

McLaren has lodged an 'intention to appeal' against the Gasly reinstatement. We'll bring you a full story shortly.

Vesti also heading out on a pre-used set of softs. He's currently P11 with a 1m18.365s. Aron is the fastest rookie on 1m18.247s, with the caveat that Browning hasn't been out of the garage yet, and Iwasa, Fornaroli and Beganovic haven't done push laps on softs. Herta, meanwhile, is driving a Cadillac.

Russell and Piastri back out, both on used softs, and Piastri looks like he's winding up for a push lap.

Still no sign of Luke Browning, apart from at the engineering desk in the garage. The car is now in such a state of disassembly that several mechanics have formed a wall of bodies around it to prevent the F1 TV cameras from revealing its inner workings.

Piastri and Russell head for the pits after that. But Verstappen, Lindblad and Leclerc – currently P3, P4 and P5 – are still circulating on softs.

Belay that – Verstappen bails out and returns to the pits.

Verstappen head back out after a minor adjustment, on the same set of softs.

Piastri has just clocked a very respectable 1m16.566s on mediums - purple in the first and last sectors...

Russell is purple through the first two sectors... and the third! P1 with 1m16.363 - 0.684s quicker than Verstappen.

Fornaroli now out sans aero rakes, and on mediums.

Verstappen pits, and Iwasa emerges on mediums. No aero rakes now for the Super Formula champion.

Replay shows Bortoleto having to quell a twitchy rear end on corner entry, which is why he slewed off track.

P1 for Verstappen with a 1m17.047s, and fastest through the second and third sectors. But there's obviously more to come, given that Russell's time (0.306s off) was set on mediums.

Well let's see, because Russell is heading out on softs.

Bortoleto essays a little journey across the gravel at Turn 8 but manages to get back on track.

Lindblad and Verstappen now coming out on softs.

1m18.515s for Aron - 1.162s off Russell but he's the fastest so far through the final sector.

Looks like the Racing Bulls were on mediums. Sainz has been "noted" for impeding Lawson.

Vesti and Aron have been allowed push laps on soft tyres - let's see what they can do...

Russell parks after nine laps on the mediums. Piastri still circulating for now on the same compound, 14 laps total so far although he visited the pits after nine.

Leclerc also back out on mediums after some adjustments in the garage - he's done nine laps in total on those.

j.m.easten asks "Why no leaderboard?"

Simple answer to that: some idiot (me) failed to tick the box which makes it appear. "Old man and technology eh?"as Ed Hardy would say.

Refresh the page and it should appear as if by magic.

Fornaroli has completed five laps but is showing as having not set a time. He certainly wouldn't be pushing with aero rakes on board; hopefully the team will let him loose later.

We're told there is a wiring loom issue for Browning, and this is what's being winkled out.

Russell has trimmed his time to 1m17.353s, Piastri currently P2 and 0.202s. Leclerc - not on track at the moment - is P3 with a 1m18.009s.

Paul Aron did two laps on softs earlier, too, but is currently in the garage.

Pretty much everyone on track circulating on the medium Pirellis at the moment. Herta a notable outlier on softs. Ocon, Bortoleto, Bearman and possibly the Racing Bulls on hards.

We say 'possibly' because our data screen is showing them as a question mark.

New underwear for Colton Herta as he has a huge moment at the exit of Turn 8, skating over the exit kerb. Well done to him for not having a massive shunt there – we recall Nico Rosberg smearing his Williams along the wall there at a test in 2007.

Followed by Mark Webber walking into the garage and saying "Britney's ****ed it..."

The key takeaway from the pitlane speeding furore is that while the initial focus was on the configuration of the fast lane (word circulated that it had changed to accommodate the Cadillac pit), actually it wasn't the case that drivers were taking liberties with the line. The issue was caused by the measurement of the distance being wrong.

Statement from Formula One Management apropos the Gasly fiasco:

“As part of the right of review process relating to Monaco, we have proactively assisted the FIA in gathering all the relevant information to help inform the steward’s assessments. We measured the relevant areas in the pitlane identically to the 2025 event and followed procedures in the usual way. However, the process has identified a measurement discrepancy. Like everyone in the sport we strive for the best results and, as always, any improvements or refinements that are identified as being required in light of this situation will be implemented.”

George Russell sets the fastest lap so far with a 1m17.414s, on the medium Pirellis.

Piastri complaining about a vibration from his brakes, but he's told this isn't an issue which can be fixed quickly, so he'll have to put up with it unless the car is undriveable.