2011 Australian Grand Prix The Australian Grand Prix

Lap 4: Button tries a brave inside line on Massa into Turn 11 but still can't make it pas the Ferrari.

Lap 3: Button continues to try for a way past Massa but still can't make it through. The DRS is available to BUtton on the next lap.

Lap 3: Schumacher is back out again with a fresh set of tyres.

Lap 3: Webber is on the gearbox of Hamilton's Mclaren, with Petrov in a comfortable fourth after a great start.

Lap 2: Alguersuari is into the pits for a front nose change and here comes Michael Schumacher with a puncture.

Lap 2: Vettel has a sizable lead of 2.4 seconds as he flashes over the line for the first time.

Lap 1: Button is harrying Massa into Turn 11 but can't find a way past Massa's Ferrari there.

Lap 1: Around the lake at the back of the circuit for the first time it is Vettel from Hamilton, Webber, Petrov, Massa and Button.

Lap 1: Vettel gets a good start from pole and Hamilton holds off Webber into Turn 1.

Lap 1: The five red lights go out and we are racing in Australia!

The front two rows are nicely in position and the field is forming up behind them. We have waited for four months for this moment. Are you ready?

Round the final corner and it's a marvelous sight as the cars head slowly towards their grid positions.

Vettel begins to back off the pace a little as he enters the final corners of the lap.

Through the trees round the back of the circuit and they stream through the sweeps of Turns 11 and 12 before heading for home.

It looks like most of the drivers with an open choice of tyres have opted for the soft compound as well.

With the cars full of fuel, the first set of Pirellis will take the most punishment from the heavy cars.

All 22 cars appear to have got away as Vettel leads them down into Turn 3.

The formation lap begins and polesitter Sebastian Vettel answers the call. He leads the field away from the grid.

The top 10 drivers will start on the soft compound tyres used in Q3 yesterday.

Mark Webber adjusts his helmet to make sure he is completely comfortable. A packed home crowd will be willing him on to a good result today.

The sun is blazing down on the circuit and the track temperature is up to 23 Celsius as we approach the start.

There are just five minutes to go before the formation lap begins at Albert Park.

Alonso is getting comfortable in his Ferrari before starting from fifth on the grid.

A Qantas Boeing 747 makes a low flypast over the circuit.

The big question for the start is whether Hamilton can get the jump on Vettel. If not, then look for the champion to try and build a gap prior to the first stop.

Mystery still surrounds Red Bull's KERS implementation and it remains to be seen if the team will have the power boost available today.

At least two pitstops are expected for each driver today, with tyre degradation here somewhat less severe than at some of the winter tests.

The drivers now head back towards their cars and begin to focus on the job immediately in hand. 58 laps of hard racing await them.

The public address system invites everyone to remain standing for the Australian national anthem.

The minute of silence begins as the pitlane closes.

The drivers have completed their reconnaissance laps to the grid and most of the cars are in position. At the start-finish line, the drivers are gathering to lead a one-minute silence in memory of the victims of the Japanese tsunami.

Some of the final cars heading around to the grid now after passing through the pits to get in additional laps before the start.

Here is the grid line-up for today's race: Pos Driver Team 1. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 2. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 3. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 4. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 5. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 6. Vitaly Petrov Renault 7. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 8. Felipe Massa Ferrari 9. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 10. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 11. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 12. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 13. Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari 14. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 15. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Cosworth 16. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 17. Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 18. Nick Heidfeld Renault 19. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Renault 20. Jarno Trulli Lotus-Renault 21. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 22. Jerome D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth

After two days of inclement weather and a few showers, the clouds have pulled back south into the Pacific Ocean, leaving Melbourne under largely sunny skies, heralding a much-welcomed change.

However, the moderate southerly breeze remains. This has taken the edge off temperatures slightly, with a maximum of 20 Celsius being reached a short time ago.

Conditions for the race will remain like this, with good spells of sunshine and some scattered cloud around, so the natural daylight will hold until after the podium ceremony. The sunset could become an issue, though, in the closing laps.

2011 drivers

Good afternoon everyone and welcome to AUTOSPORT Live for blow-by-blow coverage of the opening round in the 2011 FIA Formula 1 world championship - the Australian Grand Prix from Albert Park, Melbourne.

Red Bull has largely dominated the weekend in terms of sheer pace, thanks to some searing lap times from Sebastian Vettel in practice and qualifying, and the world champion starts his title defence from pole position. But Lewis Hamilton pulled out a magnificent late lap at the end of Q3 to start alongside the German on the front row of the grid.

Local hero Mark Webber starts third and will be looking to avoid a repeat of last year's disaster, while Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso will give chase from fourth and fifth on the grid.

With KERS, the all-new drag reduction system and the return of Pirelli tyres, we are set for an interesting and unpredictable 58-lap race today. The pitlane opened just moments ago and the drivers are already heading out to the grid.

All set for blast-off in Australia!