Champion trio to kick off Barcelona F1 action

Reigning champion Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen and 2009 world champion Jenson Button will be among those in action on day one, as the second of just three pre-Melbourne winter tests begins in Barcelona.

Red Bull, Williams, Toro Rosso, Lotus, Sauber and even the absent-in-Jerez Force India are also busily setting up at the Circuit de Catalunya.

With its 2015 car delayed, Force India will be running with last year's VJM07, which is expected to be driven not only by Nico Hulkenberg and Sergio Perez but also engine supplier Mercedes' reserve driver Pascal Wehrlein.

German Wehrlein, 20, is expected to make his F1 test debut by opening and closing the four-day test for Force India, with Hulkenberg and Perez driving on Friday and Saturday respectively.

Close eyes will also be on the competitive Williams team, as Susie Wolff gets her first taste of the new FW37 on Thursday.

Lotus will give its new 2015 reserve, reigning GP2 champion Jolyon Palmer, his first action of 2015 in the newly Mercedes-powered E23.

Rookie Felipe Nasr will open proceedings for Sauber, but the prominent colours of his backer Banco do Brasil on the new blue and yellow C34 might look slightly different in Barcelona.

On its Twitter account, the Swiss team posted a video with the caption 'What if the C34 turned up in Barcelona like this?', before the car with new yellow flashes on the nose was revealed.

Also gearing up for Barcelona is the high-profile F1 rookie Max Verstappen, who will open Toro Rosso's four-day test.

Barcelona test line-up