Daniel Ricciardo has set a new♒ track record at the Circuit de Catalunya with a 1m 18.047s as the pace heated up in th🎃e second Formula 1 test while McLaren and Fernando Alonso hit further mechanical worries.

After Lewis Hamilto🌳n had topped the early times using Pirelli’s unmarked development tyres – initially setting a new circuit record only to see it scr🤪atched out having cut the chicane in the final sector – the Mercedes driver still topped the times after completing a qualifying simulation just after midday on the new Pirelli ultrasofts to set a top time of 1m 18.400s, just 0.061s off the all-time circuit record held by Felipe Massa for Ferrari from 2008.

But his effort was tr⛎umped by Ricciardo’s initial flying lap of 1m 18.357s using the hypersoft Pirelli tyres to edge clo🤪ser to Massa’s decade-old all-time record. After making a few set-up tweaks, Ricciardo then ducked under Massa’s track record with a 1m 18.047s on the hypersoft tyres.

While Mercedes and Red Bull flexed its muscles for qualifying pace, McLaren once again hit trouble after two battery issues and a hydraulics failure yesterday which was followed up by an oil leak for Fernando Alonso on his 47^th lap of the day.

The two-time F1 world champion was force to stop on track at Turn 7 after suffering an oil leak whi💯ch has triggered a complete Renault power unit change which is expected to see Alonso lose over three hours of t💙rack time.

Vettel and Ferrari opted not to dip into the qualifying runs during the morning but comfortable took third place on the times, with the ❀German driver stepping 𒆙in for an unwell Kimi Raikkonen, with Alonso’s best effort of 1m 19.856s giving him fourth on the timesheet.

Carlos Sainz has enjoyed a ma🐈rathon number of laps in the morning for Renault to pick up on lost mileage from the first test to tak💜e fifth on the timesheet ahead of the Haas of Romain Grosjean.

After a sedated start to the day’s test plan, Lance Stroll picked up his p🎶ace for Williams to rise up to seventh place with a best lap of 1m 20.349s ahead of Esteban Ocon for Fo🍸rce India who had his personal best lap deleted after cutting the Turn 14 chicane.

Brendon Hartley suffered a small spin in the Toro Rosso Honda around the midday mark but still notched up over a half-century of laps with Charles Leclerc rounding out the morning runners in 10^th for Alfa Romeo Sauber.