F1 Spanish GP Live Commentary and Updates - FP3 & Qualifying

Here we go then, the session is green.

Just under five minutes to go now before the session gets underway. Will we see drivers immediately rushing out of the pits to get some last-minute pre-qualifying checks underway?

Of course, F1 isn't the only series in action at the Circuit de Catalunya-Barcelona this weekend - the FIA F3 championship gets underway too, and Alex Smolyar has just taken the opening race. Here's how he did it: https://www.autosport.com/fia-f3/news/barcelona-fia-f3-/6504664/

Track temperatures are 37.4 °C, with air temperatures of 23.2 °C. Appropriate for a siesta - at least until the engines fire up, that is.

Reassuringly, the risk of rain for this session is a resounding 0%. But you probably could have guessed that anyway.

One of the other major talking points so far this weekend has been the revelation that Red Bull headhunted another five ex-Mercedes staffers for its new powertrain division, with Toto Wolff revealing that over 100 members of its Brixworth engine team were approached over a move.

Here's what the Mercedes boss had to say: https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/wolff-red-bull-approached-100-mercedes-staff-over-f1-engine-move/6504257/

The big talking point from yesterday was that title challenger Max Verstappen was only P9 in FP2, after abandoning his qualifying simulation run on soft tyres. That meant his fastest time was set on mediums - so the overall times aren't necessarily representative, as Alex Kalinauckas explains in his Friday feature for PLUS subscribers: https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/spanish-gp-fp2-report/6504199/

If you need reminding, it was Lewis Hamilton who carried on where he left off last week in Portugal by topping FP2 yesterday ahead of team-mate Valtteri Bottas, with Charles Leclerc an encouraging third for Ferrari. Here's our full report: https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/spanish-gp-fp2-report/6504199/

Good morning one and all, welcome to Autosport's live coverage of Saturday's action from the Spanish GP - beginning with FP3 in 15 minutes time.