F1 qualifying LIVE: Spanish Grand Prix final practice session updates as Mercedes aim to continue progress

LIVE – Updated at 12:12

Follow all the action from the Spanish Grand Prix as the final practice session takes place ahead of qualifying this afternoon.

Max Verstappen’s victory in Miami reduced Charles Leclerc’s lead at the top of the drivers’ standings to just 19 points but it was the Ferrari driver who was quickest in yesterday’s second practice session. There were also encouraging signs for Mercedes after it was revealed the team had been testing new upgrades to their car at a filming day earlier this week. George Russell finished second in practice, ahead of teammate Lewis Hamilton, who was buoyed by the progress after consistently struggling with the car’s porpoising issue.

“It is the first time we have driven down the straight without bouncing,” he said. “We still have some bouncing but it is way better and we are starting to eke into the potential of the car. I am grateful for the upgrades. We just need to fine-tune them.” Follow all the action from practice and qualifying below:

It has been a very quiet opening ten minutes for this Saturday practice session in Spain.

Valtteri Bottas currently tops the timesheets for Alfa Romeo, 1.5s ahead of Kevin Magnussen in the Haas. Lando Norris, Yuki Tsunoda, and Michael Schumacher are the only others drivers to have set a time.

Tsunoda has just run very heavily over the kerb at the final chicane, which will worry the AlphaTauri mechanics who are already busy working on Gasly’s car.

Pierre Gasly was just about to head out onto the track in Barcelona, but is immediately taken back into the garage by the AlphaTauri team with the rear of his car smoking heavily.

The fire extinguisher is out, and the problem seems to be coming from below the engine cover. Gasly’s Honda engine