F1 Spanish GP Live Commentary and Updates – Race

The undercut is strong. Zhou is now two seconds off Hulkenberg, who was six places ahead when the Sauber initially pitted.

All is not as simple as it seemed for Verstappen, who runs fractionally into the gravel on the exit of Turn 7. He gets away with it but that will have caught his attention. 

"Box to overtake." A ploy from McLaren to make Russell pit? Yes, it appears this was the case - on this lap at least. 

Norris has been unleashed. He goes eight tenths faster than Verstappen on his first lap without Russell blocking his path. 

Hamilton was behind Alonso as well, but not for long, as he cuts back when exiting Turn 5.

And now the Mercedes is all over Sainz into Turn 1. They remain close through Turn 3 - they almost make contact - but Sainz keeps strong for now.

The ball is in McLaren's court. Go long and hope to stop one less time or answer Red Bull's stop?

There's the answer - McLaren leaves Norris out on the track. 

A lap later and Hamilton muscles his way past Sainz at Turn 1. Great racing from both as the Mercedes goes down the inside - small contact but nothing too bad.

Sainz calls to be let by. I'm sorry, that's just good racing.

Only the top three of Norris, Leclerc and Piastri are yet to stop and are still running their original softs. Of those that have pitted, only Perez, Bottas and Albon have fitted a second set of the soft compound. 

Scratch that - Piastri is now out of the top three, with Verstappen up into the podium places. Is someone playing the Jaws theme?

That's dropped Piastri down to 11th, behind Perez and Hulkenberg, such is the power of the undercut.

But the power of fresh tyres puts the McLaren straight past the Haas - an easy move to the inside of Turn 10.

McLaren explains to Norris that he has lost positions that would drop him to sixth if he stops now, but that his tyre delta is good so there is no need to panic. 

We have a proper strategy battle!

It's medium tyres for Norris and a 2.4s stop. He's down to sixth but has a significant tyre delta on those ahead. Time to channel Lightning McQueen, Lando!

We won't be far away from the early stoppers maybe stopping again - especially Perez and Bottas on the softs.

There are clouds starting to roll in around the circuit as well.

"I don't understand why there's a rule book and we don't follow it." 

Safe to say that Sainz is less than impressed by the no further investigation decision over Hamilton's earlier overtake. 

A few clear swaps of position down the field as Zhou gets past Bottas for 12th - swiftly followed by Stroll.

Albon is by team-mate Sargeant for 19th.

Leclerc is unhappy to be running to Ferrari's plan A, but he gets past Gasly and back into the top six.

Slowly, slowly catchy Norris...

Norris is past Sainz and is now approaching DRS range of Hamilton and Russell. 

Piastri is trying to fight back up the order and glides by Perez down the main straight, DRS assisted. That's P9 and Ocon is three-tenths ahead.

"The tyres are very inconsistent," reports Verstappen. 

He's relatively locked into the current plan now though, so there is little Red Bull can do to alter things. 

Piastri repeats his move on Perez a lap later as he breezes past Ocon for eighth.

Magnussen now pits.

Lap 32 and Norris uses DRS to pass Hamilton for P3, who puts up no defence. 

Perez managed to get a move completed on Ocon for ninth - a fine overtake it was, around the outside of T1.

But then he pits for a set of mediums and drops to 14th.

Piastri's offensive has continued - the McLaren now into seventh. But the traffic has left him 12 seconds down on sixth-placed Leclerc.

Norris is within DRS range of Russell and we're heading onto the main straight

The DRS flap opens, Norris pulls out but Russell defends the inside and WOW! Around the outside at Turn 3 and Norris takes the place, but Russell takes it back at Turn 4!

Turn 6 and Norris finally makes the move stick. Incredible action! 

While that was happening, Perez made his way past both Aston Martins on his recovery run.