F1 Testing Day Three - Lunch Break

Vettel sets the timing screens alight before lunch repeatedly smashing the all time lap record at the Circuit de Catalunya to leave the rest playing catch up.

A 1:17.182 from Sebastian Vettel just as the morning session drew to a close has woken up the pitlane and signalled to title rivals Mercedes that the team in red aren't playing around anymore. His time means that Ferrari sit at the top of the timing sheets at the midway point on day three over a second clear of anybody else. Although we can't say for sure what engine modes teams are running or fuel levels, the Ferrari looks to have great one-lap pace once again.

Title rivals Mercedes have had a relatively busy but subdued morning, Valtteri Bottas guiding the car around to a 1:19.532 on the medium compound but as is the norm now, the highest lap count of anybody with a total of 95 laps. Elsewhere, after they themselves topped the times yesterday, Red Bull find themselves rooted to the foot of the timing screens after Sergio Perez hauled Force India up to 9th with his final lap of the morning. Max Verstappen completed 77 laps to cap off his first spell in the car for the day.

Toro Rosso Honda were briefly up to second however Pierre Gasly's best time of a 1:17.8 was completed with him cutting the final chicane and his laptime didn't stand but fourth for the time being is a positive for the team to build on. Renault continue their strong start to 2018 with Nico Hulkenberg at the wheel today notching up 79 laps.

Haas dipped into the 1:18s on supersoft tyres, Kevin Magnussen's time was good enough to be best of the rest behind Vettel but the team also logged a decent number of laps in the morning. Williams and Sauber struggling to make it out of the 1:19s but still setting good times, Robert Kubica's 1:19.532 the fastest time set so far for the team throughout all of testing up to this point, Marcus Ericsson put Sauber sixth before the chequered flag waived bringing the session to an end.

But, unfortunately for you McLaren fans out there, Vandoorne again put in the least number of laps of anybody up and down the pitlane with just 48, 23 less than the closest team to them. More issues for the team even without the Honda power unit spent two hours stuck in the pitlane. To compound their misery, their best laptime was on the same compound of tyre Vettel was on yet they were 1.6 seconds off the pace. It will be a long debrief post-test for the team if things continue the way they have gone so far.

It will be a very interesting afternoon session however. The track seems to be gaining more and more time and Ferrari's message will be heard loud and clear by all those in the paddock. Will Mercedes respond?

Sebastian Vettel               Ferrari                   1:17.182               84

Kevin Magnussen            Haas                      1:18.360               76

Nico Hulkenberg               Renault                1:18.675               79

Pierre Gasly                        Toro Rosso          1:18.758               67

Stoffel Vandoorne           McLaren              1:18.855               48

Marcus Ericsson                Sauber                  1:19.244               72

Valtteri Bottas                   Mercedes           1:19.532               97

Robert Kubica                    Williams               1:19.629               73

Sergio Perez                       Force India          1:19.634               71

Max Verstappen              Red Bull                1:19.842               77