Max Verstappen started in fifth and here's still there now, running his next stint on a set of medium tyres.

Liam Lawson and Nico Hulkenberg were best of the rest in qualifying yesterday in eighth and ninth, and the two drivers are battling for position once again.

Lawson is ninth, Hulkenberg in 10th - but the Audi driver is unhappy with the Racing Bulls' defence display.

Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad is yet to pit in this race, so now seems a good time to dump his tyres and fit new boots. The Briton comes out in P16, hard tyres like the rest of the field on his car.

Abbi Pulling
2024 F1 Academy champion on BBC Radio 5 Live

It is a bit of a nightmare on the Williams side of the garage as Alex Alon and Carlos Sainz are both under investigation for two different infringements, so hopefully no penalties for both of their cars.

Antonelli: "Happy with pushing?

Engineer: "Affirm Kimi. Good lap times"

Lewis Hamilton continues to look quick on his hard tyres, which are one lap older than George Russell's, but he's still behind the Mercedes driver by 2.5 seconds.

The two front cars are beginning to catch up with the backmarkers now.

Isack Hadjar has gained another place - eighth place for the Red Bull driver after passing rookie Arvid Lindblad. He's almost back to his P6 starting position.

Engineer: "OK Franco this is an instruction, we need to switch cars into Turn Four please"

Colapinto: "Switch cars? He's one or two seconds back, not even pushing!"

Image source, Getty Images

Alpine are on the phone to Franco Colapinto. The French team want the Argentine driver to let team-mate Pierre Gasly through. Do it at Turn Four, says his engineer. Colapinto isn't happy, and lets his feelings be known. But he does as he is told and lets the Frenchman take 12th place.

Colapinto is now P13.

So Cadillac's Valtteri Bottas is out of this race, along with the Aston Martin of Lance Stroll.

Lewis Hamilton is clocking fastest laps from second place, two seconds behind leader George Russell.

Engineer: "Retire the car, we have an issue"

Isack Hadjar has also made the switch for hard tyres, and with fresh rubber, the Frenchman overtakes Oliver Bearman to sit back in the points in ninth place. Brit Bearman drops to 10th.

George Russell is now back in the lead after the shakedown of those first pit stops, leading Lewis Hamilton once again by 1.9 seconds.

Russell: "I was managing in that first stint, you could've given me the heads up. You've exposed me to Kimi now!"

Engineer: "I don't think it's going to be long for everyone"

Russell: "I need an update on the plan then, are you moving to a three you think?

Engineer: "Still on plan here George, nothing to worry about here"

OK, Ferrari don't want Charles Leclerc out and about much longer, so he comes in for a pit stop - hard tyres bolted - and heads back out in the sweltering Barcelona sunshine in sixth place, ahead of Oscar Piastri in seventh.

Abbi Pulling
2024 F1 Academy champion on BBC Radio 5 Live

George and Mercedes have done that and boxed maybe earlier than planned in a knee-jerk reaction to Hamilton.

Hamilton, it is looking like the hard compound he has put on, is looking really fast and has actually closed the gap to George in the pit stops.

Ferrari press the buzzer for Charles Leclerc to pit to cover off Oscar Piastri - but the Monegasque driver doesn't want to come in just yet. He thinks his stint is going well, just like George Russell, and Leclerc is allowed to stay out on track for another lap.

Abbi Pulling
2024 F1 Academy champion on BBC Radio 5 Live

I think that has solidified what strategy Ferrari are going for with Hamilton. I think they are going for a three-stop strategy there on that side of the garage. It is quite early to be honest to be going in. We will see how he manages. He didn't look happy on that soft tyre. He lost a lot of ground.

It's not long before Mercedes ask Kimi Antonelli to make a trip to the pits, so Charles Leclerc is now in the lead of this race on his starting medium tyres.

Title leader Antonelli comes out fourth place, on hards, ahead of Lando Norris and behind Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton.

Kimi Antonelli leads the Barcelona race following George Russell's early pit stop. Charles Leclerc is second, Oscar Piastri is third - and George Russell isn't exactly thrilled with his early trip to the pit lane. The Briton says he was managing his stint well, and now he's been exposed to team-mate Antonelli.