Ricciardo edges Leclerc on final morning of testing

Renault’s Daniel Ricciardo clocked the quickest time on a competitive final morning of pre-season Formula 1 testing at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

Several teams ran Pirelli’s C5 tyres during the build-up to the lunch break at the Spanish Grand Prix venue on the sixth and last day of testing.

Amid a flurry of times on the softest compound – which is not used at May’s grand prix weekend – Ricciardo posted a time of 1:16.276s.

It nonetheless remains half a second down on Valtteri Bottas’ pace-setting effort from the first test last week.

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Ricciardo’s time left him 0.084s than Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, with reigning World Champion Lewis Hamilton just 0.050s behind the Monegasque youngster.

Racing Point’s Sergio Perez used the C3s to finish fourth, 0.382s behind Ricciardo, though did not improve on C4s, and did not set a competitive lap on C5s.

McLaren’s Carlos Sainz Jr. was fifth, his fastest time coming on C4s, while Williams’ George Russell used the softest compound to place sixth, just 0.595s down on Ricciardo.

Daniil Kvyat (AlphaTauri) and Romain Grosjean (Haas) were seventh and eighth respectively, classifying within seven-tenths of Ricciardo’s Renault, as they ran the C4s.

Kimi Raikkonen was 1.1s off the pace for Alfa Romeo while C3-shod Alexander Albon finished at the foot of the top 10 as his running was compromised by a spin into the Turn 12 gravel.

Albon was able to recover to the track, meaning the entire four-hour session took place without a red flag.

Friday afternoon’s session will begin at 14:00 local time.