Albon tops morning session at Barcelona

F1 Test, Barcelona, Circuit de Catalunya

Toro Rosso's Alexander Albon has kept his team atop the timesheets after Daniil Kvyat already went fastest on Wednesday. Albon though did so by setting the fastest time in testing so far.

Albon's STR14 was shod with the softest C5 compound, as the team were clearly seeking to do performance runs. He wasn't the only one though, as Daniel Ricciardo did the same, but ended a tenth down on the Toro Rosso.

The day kicked off in chilly conditions (4 degrees), and it was up to the sun to heat up the track in the hours that followed.

Just like on day 2, Lando Norris was the first man out, contrasting McLaren's no-running period on Wednesday morning.

All others teams were quick to join the track early in the morning as well. Though, when Red Bull's Gasly ws just getting ready to hit the track as the final team to get going, Norris beached the McLaren at Turn 5, despite being on a very slow lap. Not sure what happened there.

Most teams were seen running huge pitot arrays on their cars in the morning. Ferrari on the other hand fitted some cameras to monitor the front wing and tyre, but it lasted only until the SF90 threw off a front wing endplate halfway around Leclerc's lap.

Several drivers were also seen spinning during the morning, most likely due to the chilly conditions. Lance Stroll spun at the chicane arond 11:00 with Kubica doing the same a bit later.

Meanwhile, the Mercedes came alive, as Hamilton momentarily went fastest with a 1m18.800s. He would later improve that down do 1m17.977 by using the softest C5 tyre.

Ferrari were a bit quiet, and didn't go faster than 1m18s, so Charles Leclerc must have thought it would be good to park in the gravel one time or another. So, he did, half an hour before the end of the session.

Once the track was green again, Albon's time had come to go fastest. He wasn't beaten until the end of the morning session.