2014 Australian Grand Prix Friday - Practice
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Next time around, Button lowers his best to a 1m32.893s. That puts him within three tenths of Alonso's benchmark.
Daniel Ricciardo
Pictures are starting to roll in from our trackside photographers, including proof that Red Bulls run.
Gutierrez goes 10th on a 1m36.825s.
Personal best for Button, who goes third on a 1m33.522s.
Button crosses the line and is onto only his sixth lap, as Gutierrez makes it three in the Sauber.
McLaren says everything now "looks good" and asks for six timed laps from Button.
Button performed a practice start from the end of the pitlane prior to joining the circuit. Mercedes customer McLaren managed plenty of them in pre-season testing in Bahrain.
There are fears the Renault-engined teams will struggle to get their cars off the line, though Taffin played down those fears when we spoke to him yesterday.
Button performed a practice start from the end of the pitlane prior to joining the circuit. Mercedes customer McLaren managed plenty of them in pre-season testing in Bahrain.
There are fears the Renault-engined teams will struggle to get their cars off the line, though Taffin played down those fears when we spoke to him yesterday.
That lull didn't last long. Button, problem apparently solved, emerges, as does Gutierrez.
Vergne is debriefing after his first runs. The Toro Rosso team is planning some adjustments to the brake-by-wire settings as he's had issues with the front brakes locking and the rear brakes not helping much.
He also feels the Renault engine is lacking in torque on its current setting, leaving him slow out of several corners.
He also feels the Renault engine is lacking in torque on its current setting, leaving him slow out of several corners.
Frantic start to FP1, though that was to be expected after such an inconclusive pre-season for many teams.
In addition to the two Lotus cars, Vettel is also yet to emerge.
In addition to the two Lotus cars, Vettel is also yet to emerge.
Both the twin-tusk Lotus E22s are up on stands in the garage. The drivers are both confident the car will be quick once they get it running reliably, but at the moment neither is running at all...
Breaking news
So half an hour in, the main developments so far:
* Alonso first on track and fastest in the early laps.
* Ricciardo first man to set a flying lap.
* Hamilton stops on track on his first run. Raikkonen and Button also have to pit with problems.
* No sign of Lotus on track yet.
* Perez is 2014's first spinner.
* Alonso first on track and fastest in the early laps.
* Ricciardo first man to set a flying lap.
* Hamilton stops on track on his first run. Raikkonen and Button also have to pit with problems.
* No sign of Lotus on track yet.
* Perez is 2014's first spinner.
Just like that, we're 30 minutes into the first free practice session of 2014.
Flies by, doesn't it?
Flies by, doesn't it?
And, of course, the Germans pit - just to make AUTOSPORT Live look foolish.
Bottas pits before he has chance to tick over to 10 laps.
Only Hulkenberg and Sutil remain on circuit.
Only Hulkenberg and Sutil remain on circuit.
Ricciardo has made an encouraging early start for Red Bull, racking up the most laps of anyone in the opening half hour with 11.
He's the only driver into double figures, though Bottas will soon join him.
He's the only driver into double figures, though Bottas will soon join him.
We have 10 teams on the leaderboard now. The spread between Alonso and Button, slowest of those to set a time, is 5.8s.
Crash
And at the same moment as Ricciardo's near-miss on the other side of the track, Sergio Perez spins his Force India into Turn 3.
It's not a case of 2014 torque or braking systems catching him out, he just dropped a wheel on the grass under braking in the time-honoured manner.
It's not a case of 2014 torque or braking systems catching him out, he just dropped a wheel on the grass under braking in the time-honoured manner.
Stopwatch
Alonso goes fastest by a nose, 1m32.588s.
Drivers look as though they're really trying in this first part of the session, making the most of an extra set of tyres made available by Pirelli.
Crash
Ricciardo just came close to giving us our first shunt of a 2014 practice session, as he ran wide out of the quick left/right. He flirts with the grass, catches it and continues.
Stopwatch
Rosberg trims a tenth or so off his best, lowering the bar to 1m32.604s.
Quote
According to EDD STRAW: "Bottas and the Williams look superb on the entry to Turn 9. Rear sticks on turn in and any movement there is is corrected so easily. Carrying good speed into the corner as a result."
He's seventh at present, 2.9s slower than Rosberg's session-leading 1m32.784s.
He's seventh at present, 2.9s slower than Rosberg's session-leading 1m32.784s.
And now McLaren has issues too - Button also gets a "we have a problem" message and is told to pit.
Stopwatch
And Rosberg immediately tops it by 0.343s.
Stopwatch
Alonso goes quickest - 1m33.127s. Comfortably quickest.
Kvyat and Perez add to the list of re-emerges in FP1 for a proper run.
Quote
Problems for Ferrari and Raikkonen.
"Box, box, there's something not working on the MGU-K," is the message from the pits.
"Yeah, I don't have power," Raikkonen replies.
"Box, box, there's something not working on the MGU-K," is the message from the pits.
"Yeah, I don't have power," Raikkonen replies.
Vergne leaps to second in the Toro Rosso, 0.910s slower than Ricciardo and 0.003s faster than Magnussen's McLaren.
Bottas jumps ahead of Magnussen into second (1m35.513s) and is going even faster this time around.
Comedy moment in the paddock as an official tries to ask a fully suited Lewis Hamilton to show his pass as he trudges back to the pits!
Rosberg, Vergne and Button have posted times now - and are fourth, fifth and sixth respectively.
"Quite a lot of bottoming," reports Rosberg. His engineer puts this down to low tyre pressures and urges him to bring them up, while being aware of the gap to Ricciardo.
Stopwatch
Much bigger improvement this time from Ricciardo, into the 1m34s - 1m34.600s to be precise.
Hulkenberg and Raikkonen add another couple of cars to the track.
Stopwatch
Ricciardo shaves more time off the early session best, lowering it to 1m35.043s. He's now purple in sector two.
Bottas gets on the timing screens proper with a 1m38.776s. Three times on the board for F1 2014.
Strange to see the Williams lapping in the new white Martini livery, after a pre-season spent in the team's traditional dark blue. Cool to see these iconic colours back at the top level of our sport after nearly four decades away.
Magnussen improves his time to 1m36.671s, 1.5s slower than Ricciardo.
While Rosberg is instructed to do a "big brake" to get his brake temperatures up.
Alonso returns to the track, Bianchi emerges in the Marussia.
By: Matt Beer, Ben Anderson, Scott Mitchell, Edd Straw, Sam Tremayne
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