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2010 Formula 1 Australian GP
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Formula 1
Australian GP
2010 Australian Grand Prix Race day at Albert Park
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Lap 1: Immediately Vettel is away well but Webber is under pressure from Massa.
Lap 1: The five red lights go out and we are racing in Australia!
The front row drivers are in position. The field is neatly forming up behind them.
We await the lights ...
We await the lights ...
Vettel rounds Turn 16 and leads the pack onto the pit straight.
The track is only damp and the intermediate rubber could be quickly used up if further rain doesn't arrive.
The big question will now be where to brake for Turn 1 when the race gets underway. This will be a cracking start.
Vettel leads the field round the back of the circuit as the formation lap continues. The drivers are quickly finding that the grip level is low.
All 21 cars leave the grid without problem. Virgin drivers Glock and di Grassi will start from the pits, as will Jarno Trulli.
Intermediates are the choice of the field to tackle this damp track.
The formation lap begins. Sebastian Vettel leads the field away from the grid.
Engines fire with a minute to go before the formation lap.
The track has been declared wet as light rain continues to fall.
Polesitter Vettel is going for intermediate tyres.
The drivers will now encounter a nightmare when they head off on the formation lap. When they drove round to the grid 25 minutes ago it was bone dry Now they will need to gauge grip levels in just one lap before the start.
The dry tyre rules of using both compounds will not apply if wet tyres become involved, as looks likely.
With light rain still falling, the track is 24 Celsius in a 26 degree ambient.
Intermediates look like the sensible choice, with further rain approaching the circuit - although the track remains only damp at present.
The safety car leaves its position at the front of the grid, signaling that we will see a normal start to the race today.
There are five minutes to go until the start of the formation lap at Albert Park.
Michael Schumacher is informed over the Mercedes team radio that there will be 15 minutes of rain to come.
The teams have until three minutes before the formation lap to make a call on a gamble with slick rubber or the intermediate tyres.
A Qantas A380 now flies over Albert Park. There are now just eight minutes to go.
The rain continues to make the track damp and it is beginning to look to a tricky surface for slick rubber.
The Australian national anthem proudly rings out over Albert Park. Today it is performed by Australian-Italian Gabriella Climi, who was launched to international stardom with her 2009 hit 'Sweet About Me'.
Rain continues to dampen Albert Park, setting up a potentially fascinating start to the Grand Prix.
Lotus have a sensor problem with the car of Jarno Trulli. The team are working to sort it out quickly.
Trulli's Lotus is now back into the garage and the team will quickly try to remedy the problem with just 13 minutes to go.
Shots of Albert Park lake show moderate rain still falling.
This will send teams into a scramble to decide on tyre strategy for the start. At the moment, it remains dry enough for slicks.
The pits are now closed. 24 cars are down there with the two Virgin starting from the pitlane, but now we see Jarno Trulli's car being pushed off the grid.
The fans scramble for umbrellas and coats in the stands as light rain continues to strike the circuit.
The rain is progressing rapidly across the circuit and is now falling on the grid.
Rain is now falling moderately over Albert Park lake.
Threatening clouds continue to build overhead, but it remains dry for the moment down on the grid.
Quote
"We'll see how it goes for the first 150 metres off the line. Whoever gets the start [between us] will probably get the lead into Turn 1."
Mark Webber, Red Bull speaking to ONE HD
Mark Webber, Red Bull speaking to ONE HD
The track temperature is 28 Celsius under heavily overcast skies.
The Ferraris finally take to the grid after a third reconnaissance lap.
You can keep track of the showers that Mike Gascoyne and the rest of the teams are concerned about here, via the close range rainfall radar.
Virgin chairman Richard Branson is on the grid. Unfortunately, his team's cars will be starting from the pitlane.
Vitaly Petrov briefly ran wide onto the grass exiting Turn 13 on his lap to the grid. He continued round without problem.
By: Emlyn Hughes, Geoff Creighton
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