Lewis Hamilton kept Mercedes on top as Formula 1 returned to Europe this weekend for the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona.
The Mercedes driver was easily fastest as he posted a 1:27.023 to go over eight tenths faster than McLaren’s Jenson Button who will surely be pleased to be in second.
The Red Bull of Daniel Ricciardo was third fastest, but team-mate and current champion Sebastian Vettel hit problems as his RB10 came to a stop at turn six, halting his progress at just four laps.
Nico Rosberg was another driver who didn’t have it all his own way. His newly rechristened ‘W05 Hybrid’ had, coincidentally, energy recovery issues, keeping him from completing more than nine laps and putting him fifth, behind Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso.
Kimi Raikkonen was sixth for Ferrari, just ahead of Kevin Magnussen and Lotus’s improved Pastor Maldonado.
Whilst Hamilton continues to look unbeatable, the chasing pack remain close together, with second to 12th covered by just under a second.
FP1 Full Times – 2014 Spanish Grand Prix:
| # | Driver | Team | Time | Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | L. Hamilton | Mercedes | 1:27.023 | 17 | |
| 02 | J. Button | McLaren | 1:27.891 | 0.868 | 26 |
| 03 | D. Ricciardo | Red Bull | 1:27.973 | 0.950 | 21 |
| 04 | F. Alonso | Ferrari | 1:28.128 | 1.105 | 23 |
| 05 | N. Rosberg | Mercedes | 1:28.168 | 1.145 | 9 |
| 06 | K. Raikkonen | Ferrari | 1:28.337 | 1.314 | 19 |
| 07 | K. Magnussen | McLaren | 1:28.423 | 1.400 | 27 |
| 08 | P. Maldonado | Lotus | 1:28.744 | 1.721 | 34 |
| 09 | S. Perez | Force India | 1:28.779 | 1.756 | 18 |
| 10 | F. Massa | Williams | 1:28.791 | 1.768 | 13 |
| 11 | D. Kvyat | Toro Rosso | 1:28.792 | 1.769 | 24 |
| 12 | N. Hulkenberg | Force India | 1:28.828 | 1.805 | 17 |
| 13 | J. Vergne | Toro Rosso | 1:28.859 | 1.836 | 24 |
| 14 | F. Nasr | Williams | 1:29.272 | 2.249 | 15 |
| 15 | A. Sutil | Sauber | 1:29.688 | 2.665 | 16 |
| 16 | J. Bianchi | Marussia | 1:29.820 | 2.797 | 22 |
| 17 | R. Grosjean | Lotus | 1:29.944 | 2.921 | 21 |
| 18 | G. van der Garde | Sauber | 1:30.440 | 3.417 | 22 |
| 19 | M. Chilton | Marussia | 1:30.748 | 3.725 | 19 |
| 20 | S. Vettel | Red Bull | 1:30.942 | 3.919 | 4 |
| 21 | K. Kobayashi | Caterham | 1:30.997 | 3.974 | 22 |
| 22 | M. Ericsson | Caterham | 1:31.421 | 4.398 | 22 |
