Lewis Hamilton topped timings in the second practice session ahead of Sunday's Spanish GP but failed to beat Valtteri Bottas' benchmark from the morning in Barcelona.

The world champion posted a 1m18.259s on the Soft compound tyre, less than a tenth shy of his Mercedes teammate as drivers struggled to extract a full lap of performance from the Supersoft rubber during the usual qualifying-style simulation.

Daniel Ricciardo was also on the yellow-striped tyre in second, finishing just over a tenth behind Hamilton with the second Red Bull of Max Verstappen the top driver on the Supersoft in third.

Ferrari's subdued day continued with Sebastian Vettel in fourth, but Kimi Raikkonen would see his day ended early after an engine problem saw the Finn coast back to the pits.

The final half of the session was handed to a race simulation to give the teams idea of the likely tyre and fuel performance.

Here the Supersoft again struggled but it was Red Bull enjoying the best pace and managing better durability than Mercedes perhaps opening up some interesting strategy options for Sunday.

Ferrari do appear to be lagging behind their top three rivals but many believe they are simply hiding their true pace.

In the midfield, Haas emerged as the fourth best team with Romain Grosjean recovering from a spin into the gravel at Turn 7 early to head back out and post the seventh best time.

Teammate Kevin Magnussen, who was reprimanded for an incident with Charles Leclerc in FP1, was just behind in eighth.

Stoffel Vandoorne offered hope that McLaren could make their first Q3 appearance of the year in ninth as Sergio Perez completed the top 10 for Force India.

Those in need of improvement ahead of qualifying include Fernando Alonso in 12th, with the Spaniard three-tenths behind his teammate, and Renault as once again Nico Hulkenberg and Carlos Sainz were well down on their expected positions in 13th and 17th respectively.

Sauber look to have made some progress with their upgrades for this race as Marcus Ericsson led Leclerc by just 0.013s in 15th and 16th.

But problems continue at Williams as they once again brought up the field with Lance Stroll three-tenths behind the next best car of Brendon Hartley and Sergey Sirotkin a further half a second back after completing all his running on the Supersoft tyre.

Full standings can be seen below:

Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen will have the prospect of team orders being used if Red Bull feel a battle is escalating beyond sensible limits, according to advisor Helmut Marko.

Having already made contact on several occasions earlier during the Azerbaijan GP, an attempted dummy divebomb by Ricciardo backfired as his teammate moved back across leaving him nowhere to go but into the back of his sister Red Bull.

With the Australian looking like the faster of the two for much of the race some had queried why nothing had been done to help him ahead of the Dutchman, who was clearly in no mood to yield, and that is the lesson that appears to have been learnt.

“We’ll let them drive free,” Marko insisted to Auto Bild. “However, in future, we will tell the race engineers that they will have to intervene when we see that it could escalate again.”

The incident was the latest in a number involving Verstappen this season, with the 20-year-old making contact with Lewis Hamilton in Bahrain and Sebastian Vettel in China before colliding with Ricciardo in Baku.

“Ultimately, he will emerge the other side of this, the most important thing is to learn from mistakes,” team boss Christian Horner told Motorsport.com.

Also Read:

• Wolff's latest comments seem to end Ricciardo's hopes of joining Mercedes
• Red Bull advisor Marko claims incidents are part of the Verstappen package
• Red Bull drivers "screwed up" but team orders won't be used, says Horner

“The start of this season has been tough for him, in many cases it’s looked like he’s over-eager.

“I’m extremely confident that he will learn from and recognise his mistakes.”

The entire Red Bull team is now only looking forward to this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix at a circuit and with upgrades that could allow them to challenge Ferrari and Mercedes for a second victory of 2018.

A possible Formula 1 street race in Miami in 2019 took a major step forward on Thursday after the project was given the go-ahead by local authorities.

The plan was unanimously approved at a meeting of the City of Miami Commission and means now negotiations can take place with Liberty Media to agree a contract.

"We are very pleased to have received preliminary approval towards bringing an F1 Grand Prix to Miami," commercial director Sean Bratches said in a statement.

"We recognise that this is only the start of the process and we will immediately get to work with the various community stakeholders, the City of Miami, the Port of Miami, Bayfront Park Management Trust and others, in order to reach a final agreement.

"F1 in Miami represents a fantastic opportunity to bring the greatest racing spectacle on the planet to one of the world’s most iconic cities, and we are delighted that the journey is underway.”

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A first draft of the possible layout was revealed late last week and wasn't met too kindly, with Lewis Hamilton offering to help redesign the proposed circuit focused around the American Airlines Arena.

Concerns have also been raised about the possible inclusion of two long flat-out stretches running over bridges that cross the bay but the final track is just one of a number of hurdles that remain.

If overcome, it is hoped the first race can be held as soon as October next year.

Sergio Perez admits the inability for a driver to be the deciding factor in Formula 1 races makes it an "unfair" sport in his view.

The Mexican has spoken more vigorously in recent weeks about his disappointment at still being mired as a midfield runner as he competes in his eighth season, yet does remain hopeful that he can get an opportunity at the front.

However, with only three teams where that possibility is present and those operations seemingly focusing more on drivers they have developed, that is what the 27-year-old rues more than anything.

“F1 is very unfair in that it depends less on the athlete than many other sports,” Perez told Marca ahead of the Spanish GP.

“It’s not like tennis for example, where it’s up to you. Even if you’re the best driver in the world you will not win if you don’t have the best car.

Despite having never had a true race-winning car, the Force India driver is still his country's most successful driver with his third place in Baku meaning he has the most podiums of any Mexican with 10.

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• Perez possibly F1's most underrated driver, Force India claim
• Perez hails the "best laps of my career" to claim Baku podium

And he still concedes he is fortunate to be in motorsport's premier series.

"I do not feel frustrated because I am aware of how lucky I am and the great opportunity I have, and the great career I have had," 'Checo' claimed.

“Although I haven’t had a competitive car in my eight years in F1, I still know what I can do. It just depends on the cars I have in the coming years.”

Valtteri Bottas held a nine-tenth advantage over Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton as the two Silver Arrows sent a warning shot to their rivals in first practice at the Spanish GP.

The Finn set a 1m18.148s on the Soft compound tyre as he kept improving for the first hour of the 90-minute session. That time is already comfortably faster than last year's pole position time and is a result of the softer tyres and a new track surface in Barcelona that is offering much higher grip.

Bottas' world champion partner used the Medium compound for the second half of FP1, explaining the large margin between the two drivers, but Hamilton's initial best on his first set of Softs was still enough to remain P2.

Ferrari, with the new Halo-mounted mirrors as part of their upgrade package, seemingly took things easy with Sebastian Vettel in third and Kimi Raikkonen fifth despite using the Supersoft rubber to post their best times.

In between was the Red Bull of Max Verstappen, as the Dutchman produced a strong late effort on the Medium tyre to finish fourth.

Blustery conditions in Catalonia also made producing an error-free lap very difficult with a number of drivers spinning or running off at various points around the circuit.

The most notable victim was Daniel Ricciardo as the Australian locked his brake while dealing with a tailwind into Turn 4 and slid across the gravel before gently hitting the barriers but still causing sufficient damage to end his session after just 40 minutes.

He would still finish seventh in the final standings just behind home favourite Fernando Alonso in the new-look McLaren thanks to a radical new front nose design.

Romain Grosjean was another driver to have several excursions off track, including a near carbon copy of Ricciardo's off at Turn 4 but managed to avoid the barrier, despite his issues the Haas driver would be eighth fastest.

Stoffel Vandoorne added to McLaren's optimism in ninth with Pierre Gasly rounding out the top 10 for Toro Rosso.

Lap times were not the focus of many teams, however, as they completed aero testing of the new upgrades which every team traditionally brings to the first race in Continental Europe.

That will likely explain why neither Renault featured particularly strongly with Carlos Sainz only 15th and Nico Hulkenberg 17th, the two Force India's also lagged with Sergio Perez 13th and Esteban Ocon 16th.

Sauber did have a good morning, however, with Charles Leclerc in 12th and Marcus Ericsson 14th for the Swiss team.

Williams would bring up the field with Robert Kubica making his first practice appearance of the year and finishing 1.2 seconds clear of Lance Stroll, as the Canadian's session ended in the gravel at Turn 5, causing the second of two Virtual Safety Car periods. 

Renault Sport managing director Cyril Abiteboul has revealed the works team is making an early attempt to secure the future of Carlos Sainz beyond 2018.

Currently, the Spaniard is on loan to the French manufacturer from the Red Bull program and is believed to be first in line to step up to the Milton Keynes-based outfit should Daniel Ricciardo leave at the end of the year.

However, having long been a target of Renault, Abiteboul hopes the 22-year-old can be convinced to effectively end his association with the Austrian energy drinks giant and commit himself to their long-term project.

“We have in my opinion still two great drivers, but obviously we have a particular situation with Carlos, which is a contract where we are exposed for next year, and we knew that since day one,” the Frenchman explained to Motorsport.com.

“That’s why we need to start thinking way in advance about what could be the situation and frankly, that is why we have already started discussions with Carlos about longer term, about what can happen beyond this year, accepting that it’s not completely in his hands nor our hands."

With Red Bull slowly returning back as genuine contenders for regular wins and even the championship, the Renault chief acknowledges what his team offers wouldn't be so lucrative in the short-term.

"We need to accept that we are still playing catch up on many areas and one of the areas is also driver market, where we still need to try to be more in control of our future and of our destiny,” he added.

Also Read:

• Wolff's latest comments seem to end Ricciardo's hopes of joining Mercedes
• Renault offer Red Bull a little breathing room to make 2019 engine decision
• Renault are considering driver options should Sainz get Red Bull call

As for Sainz himself, he remains passive about speculation surrounding his future.

“I am very happy with Renault, I feel privileged to be part of this brand and it seems that Renault is also interested in being able to continue with me in the future," the second generation racer stated.

“But I think it is still too early to talk about the future. We are in the fourth race and it is not yet time to talk about 2019.”

Could this weekend be Fernando Alonso's last Spanish Grand Prix in Formula 1? Well, his comments in Barcelona on Thursday are raising that prospect.

The McLaren driver will reach the unwanted milestone of five years since his last win both in F1 and in Barcelona on Sunday, this just one week after securing victory in his WEC debut with Toyota at the Spa 6 Hours.

Last year, many were asking just how much longer the 36-year-old would continue amid the problems with Honda but he seemed to have high hopes when he re-signed with the British team for 2018.

Now just four races into that contract, his outlook on F1 in general is bleak.

"The biggest thing here is how predictable everything is," he said in Catalonia on Thursday. "We can put in the paper now what would be the qualifying here on Saturday, what it would be in Monaco, what it would be in Silverstone.

"That's something you need to take into account for future decisions. This is sad in a way for F1, the direction everything went."

Also Read:

• Alonso tempers McLaren expectations ahead of Barcelona upgrade
• Alonso claims Le Mans now his 2018 "priority" after debut WEC win
• Spanish media link Alonso to McLaren exit for second time

Despite his pessimism, the double world champion remains committed to McLaren and is upbeat about their future outlook in the short and long-term.

"I'm happy with the progress we did here at McLaren and the direction things are going so I'm happy here," Alonso insisted. "I think it's difficult to say and be precise about how far behind we are.

"I kept the motivation because I'm competitive. It's difficult to see from the outside but you're extremely proud and motivated every time you do a one-off performance.

"I think here, and Monaco, maybe we'll see a different picture of different teams moving around. Hopefully, McLaren is one of those that pick up a bit of pace."

Despite what has previously been dubbed the introduction of the actual 2018 McLaren at this weekend's Spanish GP, local hero Fernando Alonso has tried to suppress expectations.

Formula 1's first race in Continental Europe always sees a reset for the pecking order as teams bring their first significant upgrade packages of the year, and after having to re-assess their design in the wake of problems in testing, McLaren is one team most will have eyes on.

So far, a lack of single lap pace in qualifying has always left the British team having to recover with no top 10 starts in any of the first four races and the double world champion doesn't anticipate a major improvement.

“I know we have some developments in the pipeline, but we also know there is no magic bullet that will propel us to the front of the grid overnight," he said.

“There has been a lot of work happening at the factory and there is still a lot of work to do – so in Barcelona it’s a chance to evaluate some new things, see where we are and determine the direction that we take with car development as we progress through the season.

“As always, and especially after the battle we fought in Baku, I’m really looking forward to pushing hard on track again this weekend in front of my home fans.”

Alonso is well-known for usually overexaggerating McLaren's potential, whether it be suggesting they would fight for wins or even a tilt at the world title.

Also Read:

• Alonso claims Le Mans now his 2018 "priority" after debut WEC win

It is those somewhat unrealistic ambitions that former driver Jenson Button concedes can often cause the Woking-based team more harm than good.

“McLaren came out last year and this year and said they think they might have the best car. It’s a tall order to have the best car in F1 when you’re racing against Ferrari and Mercedes and Red Bull," he told Sky Sports.

“So you’d say the season so far is a disappointment but if they didn’t say they had the best car you’d say it’s a great season for them.

“They’ve made good steps, they’re fourth in the constructors’ standings, but because of what they said at the start of the year you say maybe it’s not what we expected.”

Lewis Hamilton claims he and Mercedes need to improve and can't depend on "weird" races to remain in the championship fight.

Despite a largely subdued 2018 to date, the world champion is back atop the drivers' standings by four points from Sebastian Vettel after inheriting his first win of the season last time out in Baku.

It was another race where safety cars and external factors meant the form guide was pretty much thrown out the window and the Briton remains sure his team is still inferior to his rival's Ferrari.

“There’s two weird races which have kept us within the mix but you can’t rely on those for the 17 or however many are left,” he said ahead of the Spanish GP.

“We need ultimate performance and confidence in the car. I’ve got the pace within me, the car has got the pace within it but we’re not unlocking it… we’ve definitely got to improve in lots of areas.”

Hamilton's sense of urgency is echoed by Vettel's sense of calm about the championship situation, who has seen the race lead in the first stint at the last two races dissipate to eighth and fourth place finishes.

“I’m not worried at all,” he said. “The most important thing is that we have a good car to work with in qualifying.

“If we’re in front, we can win because our race pace is good.”

Also Read:

• Prost suggests Hamilton has a weakness which Ferrari can exploit
• Hamilton: It is easier for rivals to play catch up to Mercedes
• Wolff: Mercedes' tough start to 2018 is impacting Hamilton contract talks

This weekend's race in Spain also sees the start of the development war with all teams bringing their first major car upgrades of the year.

Ferrari has already signalled their intentions with images revealing a striking new Halo with the mirrors now mounted from the cockpit device and Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff admits the Scuderia and Red Bull will only get stronger.

“It’s the first step of the development race that looks like it could run to the very end of the season," he said.

“The first four races indicate very strongly that we will see the three-way battle continue and – if anything – intensify.

“We’re hoping that this year’s Spanish Grand Prix will be a good race for us, but we know that it will be tough.”

Alain Prost believes he has seen a weakness in Lewis Hamilton that can enable Ferrari and Sebastian Vettel to claim the 2018 Formula 1 crown.

The Frenchman admitted he was wrong when he doubted the Scuderia's chances before the 2017 season claiming at the time that "every time there is a change of regulation, Ferrari was rarely there".

Instead, it was the Italian team that emerged as the main threat to Mercedes and have continued to do so this season with two wins and three pole positions, even if poor results in recent races for Vettel means Hamilton is currently leading the championship.

"In the winter Mercedes and Red Bull seemed to be a little better, but it turned out that they (Ferrari) are there in qualifying and tyre management," he said to Italy's Autosprint on Monday.

"Also Raikkonen is there at Vettel's level which will be a great help. I think this year Ferrari can win [the title]."

Also Read:

• Hamilton: It is easier for rivals to play catch up to Mercedes
• Vettel claims results have masked the strong pace of teammate Raikkonen
• 2018 could become a "legendary" season for F1, says Mercedes boss

The four-time champion, who is now an advisor at Renault, believes Ferrari's improvement and the closer competition is also having a negative impact on Hamilton, which he thinks the Maranello squad can capitalise on.

"The six drivers for Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull can be competitive in all circumstances. It's more difficult for Hamilton, who has usually fought for championships against single drivers only," Prost claimed.

"Now he will not be able to manage races in the same way against four or five competitors, but for us it will be exciting."