Hello and welcome to our coverage of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne!

The second free practice session is scheduled for later today... be sure to join us again for that one!

Top 10: Webber, Vettel, Alonso, Rosberg, Barrichello, Button, Hamilton, Schumacher, Kobayahshi, Petrov.

Webber pinches it from Vettel at the death with a 1:26.831! And there we have it! The Red Bulls come out on top after the first practice session of the 2011 season but it was a decent outing for Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren too.

Same old story then: the Red Bulls pushing each other to the limit!

Webber goes quickest to trump Vettel! 1:27:450 but Vettel hits back immediately with a 1:27.156!

Webber is pushing as the session comes to a close... he could put in one of the quickest laps of the day here...

Mercedes' Rosberg moves into third to mark the team's intentions for the weekend.

Into the last 10 minutes of the first practice session and still Vettel's time of 1:27.739 is the quickest of the day so far.

Alonso moves up to second place ahead of Webber, Button, Hamilton, Barrichello, Massa, Robserg, Schumacher and Kobayashi.

Vettel's car has a problem with the front wing and engineers are busy working away on it in the garage.

Massa locks his right front and he slips off the track.

So, with 20 minutes left in the first practice session of the 2011 season, Vettel and Webber top the timesheets, with Button and Hamilton behind. Barrichello, Massa and Rosberg follow.

Sutil flies off track as a television image shows one of Vettel's tyres missing a large chunk - after just eight laps.

Rosberg looks good here in his new Mercedes... there's a quiet confidence about him and Schumacher this weekend.

The track temperature is still only 22 degrees despite the number of laps put in today.

Webber runs off as he too pushes the new Red Bull to its limits. Nothing serious though.

Vettal then goes a tenth quicker with a 1:27.739 as the Red Bull driver continues to push his car.

Vettel is pushing hard now... and he posts the quickest time of the day so far: a 1:27.869!

Vettel into second now, ahead of Button and then Hamilton. The Red Bulls are setting the pace early on this weekend!

Hamilton, Button and Massa complete the top four.