Renault’s Robert Kubica was the surprise pacesetter in Friday’s first practice session at a sunny Albert Park, shading Mercedes GP’s Nico Rosberg by 0.2s.
Potentially large differences in fuel loads once again made the times hard to interpret meaningfully, but Kubica and Rosberg were among the quickest throughout and both appeared to have well-balanced cars around the tricky low-grip parkland circuit.
Ditto Jenson Button, who was third fastest for McLaren ahead of Felipe Massa in the quicker of the Ferraris.
Bahrain star Sebastian Vettel was fifth in the leading Red Bull, from Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton in the second of the Ferraris and McLarens. ITV
Formula 1: Australian Grand Prix - First Practice Results
The session was red-flagged twice for accidents involving Sauber’s Kamui Kobayashi. In the first he knocked off the front wing of his car when he hit a cone designed to prevent corner cutting, then later the front wing fell off under braking and he was sent across a gravel trap, unharmed.
Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso, who won the season-opening race in Bahrain earlier this month, was sixth on the timesheets in opening practice, ahead of McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton and Toro Rosso’s Sebastian Buemi.
Seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher was again second best to his Mercedes teammate, 1.4 seconds behind Rosberg and in 12th overall.
Local hope Mark Webber, seeking to become the first Australian to win his home F1 GP, was a further two places back in 14th. Canadian Press
Toro Rosso’s Jaime Alguersuari was 13th on 1m 28.572s with local hero Mark Webber 14th for Red Bull on 1m 28.683s after one off-course moment in Turn Six.
It wasn’t a great day for BMW Sauber as Pedro de la Rosa stopped out on the circuit with undisclosed mechanical problems after lapping in 1m 29.465s for 15th ahead of the Williams of Rubens Barrichello (1m 29.712s) and Nico Hulkenberg (1m 30.249s).
Behind Kobayashi, the three new teams had a grand little scrap which ended in Jarno Trulli’s favour by a whisker from Lotus team mate Heikki Kovalainen, the duo lapping in 1m 31.652s and 1m 31.654s respectively. The Finn stopped out on the track on the last lap.
Lucas di Grassi chased them with 1m 32.831s for 21st in his Virgin ahead of Bruno Senna and Karun Chandhok. The HRT drivers both had minor offs, the Brazilian lapping in 1m 33.401s, the Indian in 1m 34.251s. Timo Glock brought up the rear with 1m 34.925s in the second Virgin. Formula 1
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