Best qualifying session for some time. So far as I'm aware, none of the front runners suffered factors beyond their control and Hamilton eventually put it all together after having trailed Rosberg all weekend. 1:22.000 is a scintillating time in these blustery conditions. Very impressive performance from Red Bull. Verstappen has surely vindicated the transfer but Ricciardo, under pressure from what he'd seen of his new young team mate and with only a single lap in Q3, put in a stunner. What happened to Ferrari? I can't but wonder whether it's the same old story of top-down pressure from Maranello which saw them going all guns during practice, stirring up Tifosi adrenalin only to let them down. Thoughts for tomorrow: Mercedes may not have it all their own way. The start will be absolutely critical and I wouldn't be at all surprised – actually, I'm pretty much expecting – at least one of the Red Bulls to pass at least one of the Mercs either off the line or into Turn 1; and wouldn't bet against Vettel joining the fray either, especially if Verstappen disturbs the normal lines others will want. This circuit, although better known to most drivers and teams than any other, is notoriously difficult for on-track overtaking, so by the time they emerge from Turn 3 – the fast uphill right-hander which rewards downforce and sheer guts – the order is likely to be established until the first of two stops for the majority, although some will roll the dice on three. One more thought is that Rosberg's tyres are in better shape than Hamilton's, so he may have a long-term strategic advantage over Hamilton. It's nice to be back in Europe. And Barcelona is such a great place to kick it off.
Credit where its due Lewis put in a stunner. Lets see how it all pans out tomorrow. I echo that Max's move has been vindicated, and that Ricciardo upped his game. Ferrari are just the same old Ferrari.
I hope Haas don't do a 2015 Sauber and start off strong only to tail off throughout the season. With all the customer parts they've acquired where does that leave them for updating the car?
Ferrari fell right off after a very promising FP3! What would spice this up is a Red Bull leading the Grand Prix and stopping the Mercs getting clean air. Then we would have a real race on our hands with Ferrari pressuring the Mercs.
PS if Danny Ricc or Max win tomorrow it would be the 10th different winner in the last 10 Spanish GPs!
Or the other way around. How does Verstappen's performance vindicate Red Bull promoting him four races into the season?
well, it's his first time in the car and he's already closer to Ricciardo than Kvyat has been all season, and Kvyat has been trounced by Sainz. Pretty much vindicates it in my eyes.
Who are they? Rosberg, Hamilton, Vettel, Webber, Maldonado, Raikkonen, Alonso, Button, Massa and Schumacher?
How does that vindicate Verstappen being in the Toro Rosso and Kvyat being in the Red Bull for the first four races? One of them's wrong because you've got ten there instead of nine.
Schumacher won it in 2004 but the 'streak' began with Massa in 2007, as Alonso did win it prior to his most recent one with his first in 2006.
I know that the Kyvat/Verstappen swap over is the hot topic of the moment and is inevitably going to be discussed at length, but I'm already sick to the back to teeth with it. It's not the subject matter, more the constant video compilations by the media showing interviews, the crash in Sochi etc. I'm usually not too bothered about these things but it's got my properly wound up!