F1 Barcelona GP live commentary and updates - Race

We're told it was a battery issue for Alonso. A gearbox problem for Stroll.

Hamilton still pulling away from Russell. Another seven tenths on lap 47.

Gasly also made an inexpensive pitstop under that VSC and is currently P9.

Colapinto also "noted" for a yellow flag infringement.

Pending any investigation, Hamilton – on new hards – is 4.2s ahead of Russell as we start lap 45. Antonelli 1.5s behind his Mercedes teammate.

Hamilton has just set the fastest lap of the race, seven tenths quicker than Russell.

So Russell and Antonelli now the hunters rather than the hunted.

Oh, yellow flag infringement for Hamilton has been "noted".

"24 laps remaining. That's the race up ahead of you," Russell is told.

Well that could only have gone better for Hamilton if he'd been able to pit a lap earlier. He has made his third and final pitstop under the VSC and that made it much easier for him to retain the lead.

Hamilton now pitting at the end of lap 41.

New mediums for Verstappen.

And we have a yellow flag, something has happened at Turn 9. Alonso has stopped.

Russell has to force his way past Leclerc in the final sector of lap 39 for P2. Leclerc then goes into the pits for a new set of hards.

Hamilton is told to "give everything we have" in the next seven laps before pitting again.

So on lap 39 we have Hamilton leading on 11-lap-old Mediums from Leclerc on 22-lap old hards, with a gap of 15s.

Piastri also pitted, on the same lap as Russell.

So Antonelli leads, 4s ahead of Hamilton., but then he peels into the pits at the end of lap 37. New hards fitted.

So that was new hards for Russell and Norris.

Russell emerges between Leclerc and Norris in P4, 7s off Leclerc.

Russell now told to box – a response to Norris's stop. He comes in at the end of lap 36.

Well, Norris has just been told to box. In he comes at the end of lap 35.

Antonelli is told "not to slow each other down fighting" because they need to keep the gap to Norris "healthy".

What he isn't told is how quickly Hamilton is catching Norris.

Lap 35 and Hamilton closes to 4.2s off Norris.

Antonelli is reminded that he has a black-and-white flag for exceeding track limits, so "no more risks" because a 5s penalty is in the offing.

Lando Norris is also still in this race, 3.8s behind Antonelli. Hamilton is 6.6s off but closing in at between one and two seconds a lap.

And as we start lap 33, Antonelli attacks into Turn 1 and Russell is forced into defensive mode.

There was a certain element of belief in Hamilton's tone on the radio there. He clearly thinks there's a possibility of a win here.

Leclerc lets Hamilton past into Turn 1 at the start of Lap 32. "Let me know what times I need to do," Hamilton tells his engineer.

Hamilton on new mediums, we should add.

Russell is in the thick of traffic – Lindblad, Bortoleto and Sainz to clear. Antonelli now 0.7s behind him.

Russell is told Hamilton is on a three-stopper – stating the obvious there. Verstappen now pits at the end of lap 29. Hards going on.

Hamilton right on Piastri's tail now.

Antonelli pops in a personal best lap. He's just 2.7s off Russell now.

Hamilton emerges in P7, 1.3s behind Piastri.

End of lap 27 and Hamilton breaks for the pits again! How will Mercedes respond?

Russell says his front end "feels a bit weak".

Colapinto now 2.9s off his teammate so that vindicates Alpine's call to swap them.

Piastri now 6s off Leclerc and in a race of his own. Hadjar is 19s behind him.

The real battle on track is for P9, which Lawson is defending from Hulkenberg and Gasly. Hulkenberg has just got on the radio to complain about Lawson moving under braking for Turn 1.

The frontrunners have been lapping in the late 1m22s, though Russell has just done a 1m23 in traffic. He has 2.1s in hand over Hamilton, who is 2.9s ahead of Antonelli. The second Mercedes has been chipping away at this gap over the past few laps.

Norris now 1.6s behind Antonelli and 7.7s ahead of Verstappen.

Max has been told he is "very much racing Leclerc" and so he is – Leclerc has been closing in at a rate of around 0.4s a lap and is 2.8s behind as we reach lap 26.