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.

Engineer: "Lewis in"

Russell: "He's probably going for a three [stop]"

The pit lane is alive now. Race leader George Russell reacts to Lewis Hamilton's stop and he comes in for the hard compound. Russell rejoins the field, into clear air and back into fourth place.

Max Verstappen has also made a stop for Red Bull, the Dutchman now in ninth place.

Alice Powell
British racing driver on BBC Radio 5 Live

Up in sixth place for Charles Leclerc, he is looking hungry. He is looking racey. He said he was ashamed after his incident going into the wall at Turn Four. He felt sorry for the team, the fans. Constantly, the word he kept saying was ashamed. Clearly he has shaken that off and is trying to make moved forward now.

Verstappen: "Struggling a lot with the tyres. I'm even wobbling on the straight, it's quite impressive"

Max Verstappen says his soft tyres are falling away on the Red Bull team raadio, so it's no surprise to see Lewis Hamilton come into to pit.

It's the hard compound for the seven-time world champion, and he comes back out in seventh place.

Gasly: "I'm losing time here!"

George Russell is clocking fastest laps out in front on the medium tyre, but Ferrari are thinking of a changeover for Lewis Hamilton, who started on the soft.

The Italian team have made the call - get yourself in, Lewis!

Engineer: "Lando how's the pace? How's the tyres?

Norris: "Yeah just sliding everywhere"

Lando Norris has been on the McLaren team radio. The world champion is experiencing the same sliding as the rest of the pack. Norris is still fourth, chasing Kimi Antonelli for a podium place.

George Russell leads from Lewis Hamilton, 3.5 seconds the gap between the two.

Alice Powell
British racing driver on BBC Radio 5 Live

Kimi Antonelli has just dropped a little bit back so I wonder if there will be potentially a bit of a strategy game. More of a strategy from Antonelli. Of course when you get closer to a car behind, you are going to hit that dirty air, you are going to get hot turbulent air from the car in front. If Antonelli can't really find a way past, will he just elect to maybe drop back and save his tyres at this stage of the race?

Isack Hadjar is trying to recover after his slow getaway at lights out, and if he wants to score points this weekend, he'll have to pass rookie Arvid Lindblad first. The Red Bull driver tries his luck on the Racing Bulls man, but it's not happening just yet.

Hadjar stays 11th, Arvid Lindblad is 10th.

Oscar Piastri is struggling to keep his McLaren in check and Charles Leclerc spies an opportunity to pass. It takes a couple of corners, but the Monegasque driver has lifted his Ferrari up into sixth place from his starting position of 10th following his big Q3 crash.

Charles Leclerc has climbed to seventh place, but his Ferrari is sliding around on his medium tyres. He's hassling the McLaren of Oscar Piastri, and the pair are close into Turn One, but the Australian stays ahead for this lap.

Engineer: "Box, problem with gearbox"

Image source, Getty Images

It looks like Lance Stroll's day is over already. The Canadian has come in to pit. Aston Martin inform Stroll there are problems with the gearbox.