| 12:20:33
| Welcome to ESPN Racing-Live.com and live coverage of the first practice session of the Australian Grand Prix. |
| 12:22:17
| It has been a long off-season and the dramatic final lap of the Brazilian Grand Prix seems a long time ago. The raft of rule changes, well documented elsewhere over the recent months, makes the opening race especially difficult to read. This session could give us all a better indication of what to expect when it really counts. |
| 12:25:16
| Honda of course is no longer in the sport, pulling the plug on the programme in December following another disastrous season. Brawn GP is the new name for the team and the BGP 001 is now powered by Mercedes. |
| 12:26:30
| Brawn joined the pre-season test programme late, but immediate vaulted to the head of the timesheets with both Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello. In Melbourne yesterday, four teams protested against the rear diffusers run by Brawn, Williams and Toyota despite the cars passing scrutineering. |
| 12:28:39
| While the results of this event may well be determined in court thanks to the diffuser controversy, several teams are running KERS this weekend. Ferrari, McLaren and Renault have confirmed the use of the new technology along with Heidfeld in the BMW Sauber. |
| 12:30:08
| The 90-minute free practice session is now underway! |
| 12:30:52
| The Force India duo head out first. They are powered by Mercedes this year. |
| 12:31:42
| Kubica, Heidfeld, Rosberg, Nakajima and others straight out. |
| 12:32:04
| As has traditionally been the case, most will now complete an installation lap and return to the pits for checks. |
| 12:32:51
| Kubica pits his BMW Saiber after an installation lap. Others also pitting. |
| 12:33:20
| Hamilton, Raikkonen and Massa are now on track. |
| 12:33:57
| An installation lap for all. Kovalainen, Alonso and Barrichello yet to head out. |
| 12:35:31
| Kovalainen now on track in the McLaren who have struggled in pre-season testing. |
| 12:36:45
| Yes the new cars look ugly, but there is a hope that passing will be possible with the adjustable front wings and KERS. |
| 12:37:11
| Kovalainen pits, no one on track. Alonso and Barrichello yet to head out. |
| 12:37:50
| Nelson Piquet Snr is observing from the Renault pit. |
| 12:39:16
| Trulli is out of the car, he was fastest on the installation lap looking at the splits. |
| 12:40:16
| Ten minutes complted of the first session of the new season. It is overcast but no real threat of rain. |
| 12:41:35
| All remain in the pits for the time being. |
| 12:42:28
| This session is traditionally used to evaluate the two tyre compounds on offer from Bridgestone. |
| 12:44:17
| Alonso and Barrichello remain in the pits. The rest have all completed an installation lap. |
| 12:44:42
| Brawn GP are expected to unveil Virgin as a major sponsor later today. |
| 12:46:30
| The only driver changes from last year are Vettel moving from Toro Rosso to Red Bull with Sebastien Buemi taking the STR seat alongside Bourdais. |
| 12:47:44
| With just eight engines permitted over the season, we're not seeing much of anything on track at the moment. |
| 12:52:00
| Buemi is sitting in his STR and ready to head out. He is the only rookie in the field this year. His track record is so-so, but nothing special so it will be interesting to see how he performs. |
| 12:53:58
| Rubens Barrichello heads out in the Brawn Mercedes. |
| 12:54:56
| Barrichello does not have a number on the car today, but he's number 23. |
| 12:55:15
| Buemi heads out in his STR4. |
| 12:56:07
| A standard installation lap from Barrichello who pits. |
| 12:57:01
| Buemi starts a timed lap. |
| 12:57:56
| The back end of the Toro Rosso is stepping out but there is less downforce this year with the skinny rear wings. |
| 12:59:00
| Buemi's first lap is a 1:41.5, the first lap of the new season. Not a fast lap. |
| 13:00:09
| 30 minutes are now complete and we have one timed lap. Plenty more to come. |
| 13:00:43
| Buemi picks up the pace a little to a 1:37. |
| 13:01:24
| Kimi Raikkonen heads out in his Ferrari. |
| 13:02:14
| Buemi is on a long stint at the moment and chipping away at his lap time. |
| 13:04:26
| Raikkonen moves fastest on his first lap of the new season. He, like Buemi, is on the harder tyre at the moment. |
| 13:05:05
| Fernando Alonso heads out for the first time today as Buemi runs off track and rejoins. |
| 13:05:37
| Nico Rosberg heads out in his Williams Toyota. |
| 13:05:58
| Raikkonen is already 1.5s faster than Buemi. |
| 13:07:27
| Hamilton, Trulli, Massa, Heidfeld are now on track as well. |
| 13:07:40
| Alonso pitted after his installation lap. |
| 13:08:08
| Raikkonen has picked up the pace and is now four seconds clear of Buemi. |
| 13:08:47
| Rosberg slows ahead of the final turn to start a timed lap as Raikkonen locks up his front right and takes to the grass. |
| 13:09:26
| Nakajima, Button, Glock head out. |
| 13:10:02
| Massa locks the rears at the penultimate turn and runs into the escape road. |
| 13:10:34
| Rosberg moves second fastest ahead of Trulli and Heidfeld. |
| 13:10:49
| Most are now on track. |
| 13:12:29
| Raikkonen pits with the fastest time from Rosberg, Trulli and Hamilton. |
| 13:13:16
| Massa moves second fastest. 1.3s off Raikkonen. |
| 13:14:14
| A gain from Button who moves P2, just two-tenths off Raikkonen. |
| 13:14:50
| Vettel has pulled off with a mechanical problem. A poor start for Red Bull Renault. |
| 13:15:26
| It seems it is a hydraulic issue for Vettel who is out of the session after two timed laps. |
| 13:15:59
| Button pits as team-mate Barrichello gets up to speed. |
| 13:16:58
| Now Hamilton runs off track in a high speed turn. Understeer. |
| 13:17:35
| Kovalainen moves third ahead of Massa, Webber and Nakajima. |
| 13:18:37
| Heikki Kovalainen moves fastest in the McLaren. That's a surprise given the pace in pre-season testing. |
| 13:19:16
| Rosberg was on a hot lap but pits his Williams. |
| 13:20:13
| Alonso is the only driver not to set a time so far. |
| 13:20:36
| Barrichello is on a hot lap in his Brawn Mercedes. |
| 13:21:20
| Barrichello moves fastest by two-tenths from Kovalainen. |
| 13:23:13
| Barrichello pits as Glock moves P3 in the Toyota who tested well in the winter. |
| 13:23:52
| Most of the front runners have pitted. Bourdais has yet to complete a flying lap and is back out in STR. |
| 13:24:40
| Sutil has moved into the top ten in the new Mercedes-powered VJM02. |
| 13:26:08
| Fisichella loses a wheel cover on track. The Italian veteran is P11 at the moment. |
| 13:26:37
| Raikkonen, now fourth, is back out in his Ferrari. |
| 13:27:16
| Alonso, yet to set a time, heads out in his Renault. |
| 13:27:59
| Bourdais runs wide at turn one and continues. |
| 13:28:37
| Raikkonen is on a hot lap. All are running the harder tyre at the moment. |
| 13:29:08
| I tell a lie, Raikkonen is on the softer tyre! It is hard to see the new green stripe. |
| 13:29:31
| A big gain from Raikkonen who moves fastest by a second. |
| 13:30:44
| Raikkonen backs off on his second flying lap on the soft tyre. |
| 13:30:59
| Button, P6, is back out. |
| 13:31:19
| Alonso records his first timed lap. |
| 13:31:53
| The soft tyre is fast, but it seems for just one lap as Raikkonen is off the pace now after setting the pace. |
| 13:32:32
| Hamilton is back out looking to move up from 15th. |
| 13:32:51
| Lots of understeer from Hamilton's McLaren. |
| 13:33:50
| Hamilton really not fast as a Ferrari closes in fast to the rear of the McLaren. Alonso has a moment and continues. |
| 13:34:06
| A gain from Button who moves fourth. |
| 13:35:09
| A better lap from Heidfeld who moves into the top ten. |
| 13:35:45
| Alonso moves seventh fastest as Hamilton makes no real progress in P14. |
| 13:36:39
| Button moves second fastest on the harder tyre. |
| 13:37:19
| So Raikkonen remains fastest courtesy of his soft tyre run. |
| 13:38:59
| Massa is back out and working his way up the order. |
| 13:39:47
| Nakajima has a puncture on the right rear of the Williams. |
| 13:40:22
| Piquet spins at turn one. |
| 13:40:47
| Piquet just loses the rear end of the Renault and around it goes. |
| 13:42:07
| Trulli moves fifth fastest in his Toyota. |
| 13:42:47
| Vettel is slowest of course after his Red Bull failed early in the session. |
| 13:43:41
| A gain for Rosberg who is now fourth fastest in his Williams behind Barrichello, Button and Raikkonen. |
| 13:44:39
| Now Rosberg moves second fastest, the quickest time on the harder tyre. |
| 13:45:31
| Barrichello is back out in his Brawn Mercedes. |
| 13:47:02
| 13 minutes remain. I expect some to run the softer tyre for the first time in the final minutes. |
| 13:49:28
| Barrichello runs off track and continues. |
| 13:50:30
| Kovalainen is back out in his McLaren. He's a second quicker than Hamilton at the moment. |
| 13:50:48
| Sutil moves sixth fastest in the Force India Mercedes. |
| 13:51:13
| A gain for Bourdais who now moves ahead of Buemi. |
| 13:52:37
| Raikkonen remains fastest and is back out. |
| 13:53:10
| A good lap moves Kovalainen third fastest. He remains on the hard tyre as Nakajima moves P6. |
| 13:53:58
| A strange downshift on Kubica's BMW Sauber. Seems to upshift just ahead of a downshift. |
| 13:54:16
| The circuit is very busy now. |
| 13:54:44
| Hamilton locks his front left and runs off track. |
| 13:56:42
| Alonso doesn't trouble the first apex and then has a big moment as the rear end steps out. |
| 13:56:56
| Three minutes remain... |
| 13:57:57
| Barrichello moves second fastest. |
| 13:58:52
| Rosberg on a hot lap. |
| 13:59:02
| Nakajima moves third fastest. |
| 13:59:18
| Rosberg moves fastest on the hard tyre. |
| 14:00:05
| The chequered flag is out. |
| 14:00:19
| Can anyone improve on the final lap? |
| 14:01:01
| Rosberg pits as Kubica nearly runs into the back of a STR. |
| 14:01:15
| Buemi moves P15. |
| 14:01:34
| Nakajima moves second fastest. A Williams one-two! |
| 14:02:23
| So Rosberg is fastest from Nakajima, Raikkonen on the soft tyre, Barrichello, Kovalainen, Button, Massa, Glock, Sutil and Alonso. |
