Bottas on top mid-day with sub-1min20s run

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Mercedes Valtteri Bottas concluded his morning stint with a bang, achieving the first sub-1min 20s run of the week on Day3 of pre-season testing in Barcelona.

Bottas' barn burner 1:19.705 lap, which was set on Pirelli's Ultrasoft compound tyre, was over two seconds faster than last year's Spanish GP pole position managed by Lewis Hamilton.

The Finn was also about 1.5 seconds faster than second placed-man Daniel Ricciardo who racked in 43 laps for Red Bull.

Jolyon Palmer's third fastest time with 51 laps accomplished was a pleasant surprise. The Brit had a rocky start to his day however when he was caught out by the chilly morning weather and the even colder tyres, and landed in the gravel trap, bringing out the red flag.

Gallery: the pictures from Day 3 at Barcelona

Sebastian Vettel kept his head down as he focused on the Scuderia's series of programs, clocking in fourth fastest with 69 laps.

After two power unit changes already this week, McLaren finally had a relatively smooth morning run, Alonso spending most of the morning collecting aero data.

Lance Stroll looked like he was going to keep it clean all morning but the 18-year-old was caught out once again, ending in the gravel just before the lunch break; Williams will assess the damage.

Alfonso Celis Jr started his day at Force India logging aero data on the VJM10, ending with 39 laps and the seventh bast time.

Dany Kvyat and Romain Grosjean closed the mid-day timesheets, both drivers just working through their respective programs, with the Frenchman driving the Haas in anger for the very first time.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.