| 16:50:25
| Welcome to ESPN Racing-Live.com and live coverage of the Australian Grand Prix qualifying session. |
| 16:51:25
| Practice so far has shown that Williams Toyota, Brawn Mercedes and Toyota are the teams to beat around the Albert Park circuit. Nico Rosberg has topped all three practice sessions this weekend in his FW31, recording a best time of 1:25.808s earlier today. |
| 16:53:16
| With Rosberg remaining on top by the slightest of margins, Jarno Trulli was second fastest earlier today in his Toyota ahead of Jenson Button in the Brawn Mercedes. Felipe Massa was fourth fastest for Ferrari but it remains to be seen if he can replicate that form when it really counts. |
| 16:55:11
| Kimi Raikkonen meanwhile heads into qualifying relatively ‘blind’ after his F60 suffered a hydraulic failure early in the third practice session. Over at Renault, Fernando Alonso and Nelson Piquet were just 17th and 19th fastest indicating that they have some way to go with the new R29 package. |
| 16:57:11
| Renault, McLaren Mercedes and BMW Sauber have all struggled so far this weekend, but qualifying is when it really counts. |
| 16:59:04
| As was the case last year, qualifying is split into three sessions with the slowest five eliminated from Q1 and Q2 leaving the fastest ten to battle for the pole position in Q3. |
| 17:00:05
| Q1 is now underway and this is a 20 minute session. |
| 17:00:26
| Based on the practice session times, a time of 1:27.0 should be fast enough to make it into Q2. |
| 17:00:59
| Plenty of drivers are in the cars and waiting to go out. |
| 17:01:45
| Fisichella heads out in the Mercedes-powered Force India. They will be hoping to make it into Q2 and they have a good chance of doing so. |
| 17:02:22
| Rosberg, Buemi, Massa, Kovalainen, Sutil, Raikkonen and others head out. |
| 17:03:14
| Fisichella is on his first hot lap and is on the soft tyre. Rosberg has opted to run on the hard tyre for this run. |
| 17:04:23
| Fisichella records the first timed lap of the session, a 1:28.8 and that will not be fast enough. |
| 17:04:48
| Rosberg moves fastest on a low 1:27 but there is plenty more to come. |
| 17:05:13
| Massa moves second fastest. |
| 17:05:35
| Now Sutil takes over P2 in his Force India. |
| 17:06:07
| Rosberg completes a second lap and finds eight tenths. |
| 17:06:23
| Now Buemi second fastest from Fisichella and Sutil. |
| 17:06:58
| Nakajima takes the fastest time for Williams ahead of team-mate Rosberg. |
| 17:07:32
| The fastest times do not count for the grid as it is the slowest five that get eliminated. |
| 17:08:00
| Raikkonen is now third fastest and on another hot lap. |
| 17:08:40
| Raikkonen moves fastest from the Williams duo who have pitted. |
| 17:08:57
| Barrichello moves fourth. Hamilton is on track on the soft tyre. |
| 17:09:15
| No sign of Kubica and Heidfeld as yet. |
| 17:09:26
| Webber moves third for Red Bull. |
| 17:09:44
| Now Alonso vaults fastest. |
| 17:10:10
| Oversteer for Massa late in the lap and he pits. |
| 17:10:30
| Barrichello is now P1 from Alonso and Raikkonen. |
| 17:11:00
| The slowest five at the moment are Bourdais, Fisichella, Buemi, Piquet and Button. |
| 17:11:15
| Hamilton and Glock move second and third fastest. |
| 17:11:31
| A big gain for Button as he moves P2. |
| 17:12:22
| Button is on another fast lap. |
| 17:12:53
| Bourdais is slowest but looking to make a gain. |
| 17:13:14
| He moves P12 and should be safe. |
| 17:13:35
| Rosberg splits the Brawn duo in P2. |
| 17:13:48
| Massa is down in 18th and is back out. |
| 17:14:35
| Nakajima and Kubica move fourth and fifth. |
| 17:15:27
| Massa is now slowest but on a new lap with soft tyres. |
| 17:16:15
| Heidfeld moves fourth and is safe in his BMW Sauber. |
| 17:16:48
| Massa vaults second in his Ferrari. Team-mate Raikkonen is now on a hot lap too. |
| 17:17:08
| Trulli is 19th as he heads back out in his Toyota. |
| 17:17:29
| Raikkonen gains ten positions and is now P4. |
| 17:17:49
| Fisichella, Trulli, Sutil, Kovalainen, Bourdais are now the slowest five. |
| 17:18:30
| All on track except Massa and Rosberg. |
| 17:19:11
| Webber moves fastest on the soft tyre in his RB5. |
| 17:19:50
| Sutil picks up three places and is now 15th. |
| 17:20:09
| Trulli moves seventh just ahead of the chequered flag. |
| 17:20:16
| The chequered flag is out. |
| 17:21:01
| Barrichello on a flyer. |
| 17:21:13
| Glock moves second. |
| 17:21:20
| Button moves P1 |
| 17:21:34
| Barrichello now fastest from Button and Webber. |
| 17:22:32
| So Buemi will start the Australian Grand Prix 16th ahead of Piquet, Fisichella, Sutil and Bourdais. |
| 17:22:53
| Barrichello has recorded the fastest lap of the weekend on a 1:25.0 |
| 17:23:19
| Buemi has out-qualified Bourdais in his very first Grand Prix. A good job from the Swiss rookie. |
| 17:24:07
| No surprise to see Piquet eliminated as he has struggled all weekend, but Force India will be disappointed with 18th and 19th. |
| 17:24:35
| Lewis Hamilton made it into Q2 by less than a tenths of a second and was 15th. |
| 17:24:48
| There is now a short pause ahead of Q2. |
| 17:27:21
| Q2 is now underway and this is a 15 minute session. |
| 17:27:36
| Based on the times so far, a time of 1:25.9 should be fast enough to make it into Q1. |
| 17:28:30
| Raikkonen is straight out on the soft tyre. I doubt anyone will run the harder tyre in this session. |
| 17:29:19
| Trulli, Glock and Massa head out. |
| 17:29:46
| Raikkonen is now on his first hot lap of Q2. |
| 17:30:22
| Barrichello heads out in the impressive BGP 001. |
| 17:30:50
| Button and Webber on track as well now. |
| 17:31:18
| A 1:25.4 for Raikkonen and he will be in the top ten. |
| 17:32:22
| Hamilton is not taking part in this session as his McLaren has a mechanical problem. He will start 15th. |
| 17:32:46
| Timo Glock has now moved fastest from Raikkonen, Massa and Trulli. |
| 17:32:58
| Barrichello moves second fastest. |
| 17:33:23
| All change again as Button takes P1 ahead of Glock and Barrichello. |
| 17:34:06
| Webber moves second for Red Bull. Heidfeld and Kubica remain in the pit. |
| 17:34:47
| Sebastian Vettel pops the RB5 fastest, a good lap. |
| 17:35:46
| Rosberg moves second in his FW31 ahead of Button, Webber, Glock, Barrichello, Raikkonen. |
| 17:36:13
| Heidfeld and Kubica now on track. They have yet to set a time. |
| 17:37:04
| The slowest five are Kovalainen, Nakajima, Trulli, Alonso and Massa. |
| 17:37:37
| Kubica moves third fastest. |
| 17:38:18
| Heidfeld's first lap moves him just 12th. |
| 17:38:49
| Kovalainen is pushing to move up from 14th. |
| 17:39:30
| Less than three minutes remain and all but the fastest two heading back out. |
| 17:39:53
| A clean lap but Kovalainen cannot improve on 14th. |
| 17:40:42
| Massa picks up one position and is now P8. |
| 17:40:54
| All 14 drivers on track. |
| 17:41:40
| Barrichello moves fastest and Button into second! |
| 17:41:55
| Kovalainen has pitted. |
| 17:42:17
| The chequered flag is out. |
| 17:42:33
| Nakajima moves P12. |
| 17:42:54
| The order now seems set. |
| 17:44:01
| The slowest five in Q2 are Hamilton who did not run, Kovalainen, Nakajima, Alonso and Heidfeld. |
| 17:44:46
| Barrichello was fastest on a 1:24.8 from Button, Vettel, Rosberg, Kubica, Webber, Trulli, Glock, Massa and Raikkonen. |
| 17:45:06
| The remaining ten runners now take on race fuel ahead of Q3. |
| 17:46:13
| This year the FIA will publish the fuel levels of the top ten runners. |
| 17:47:45
| A short pause now ahead of Q3. |
| 17:50:09
| Q3 is now underway and this is a 10 minute session. |
| 17:50:56
| The Brawn duo of Barrichello and Button are straight out. |
| 17:51:15
| Raikkonen and Rosberg head out. |
| 17:51:36
| Trulli and Massa head out. |
| 17:52:25
| Button and Barrichello are now on the first hot laps of Q3. |
| 17:52:48
| Now all ten runners on track. |
| 17:53:19
| Button runs a little wide and kicks up the dust. He didn't lose time though. |
| 17:53:56
| Button moves P1 ahead of Barrichello and Rosberg. |
| 17:54:44
| Trulli moves fourth ahead of Raikkonen and Massa. |
| 17:55:07
| Massa is on the harder tyre. |
| 17:55:57
| All change behind the Brawn duo as Webber moves third ahead of Vettel, Kubica, Rosberg and Glock. |
| 17:57:04
| They're now returning to the pits ahead of a final run. Massa claims he has a puncture but the team say no problems. |
| 17:57:33
| They're taking a final set of the option tyre now and heading back out. |
| 17:58:10
| Two minutes remain and Brawn have a provisional front row! |
| 17:58:35
| They're all now back out for the final run. |
| 17:59:06
| Barrichello pushing very hard to try and claim the pole from Button. |
| 17:59:54
| Barrichello moves fastest! |
| 18:00:15
| Button is flying now as the chequered flag comes out. |
| 18:00:29
| Glock moves third |
| 18:00:43
| Kubica moves third ahead of Rosberg |
| 18:00:54
| Pole Position for Jenson Button! |
| 18:01:10
| Vettel moves third fastest |
| 18:01:41
| The order looks set now, so we have an all Brawn Mercedes front row. |
| 18:02:35
| Button has the pole from Barrichello, Vettel, Kubica, Rosberg, Glock, Massa, Trulli, Raikkonen and Webber. |
