FORMULA 1 Live

0' Kubica was quickest through the middle section but overcooks it going through the fast chicane. He is edged out by Hamilton in 1:26.714.

3' Coulthard an impressive sixth at the moment.

4' Vettel looks as if he is saving fuel and doesn't bother with a hot lap, settling for tenth.

5' Hamilton from Massa and Kovalainen - 1:27.092 for the Brit.

6' Heidfeld blows that out of the water with 1:27.821.

7' Rosberg is the first to register a flying lap, 1:29.144.

8' Four drivers yet to go out yet in this game of cat and mouse.

10' The final ten minute shootout has an added wrinkle as whatever fuel the teams finish with is what they must start the race with.

15' The form book has been thrown out of the window with Vettel in the Toro Rosso sixth.

Q2 Alonso starts his first hot lap with just 20 seconds of the session remaining....and is only 11th. Trulli and Glock in the Toyotas take ninth and tenth forcing Jenson Button out of the top ten.

21' Hamilton goes to the top of the timeshets with 1:25.182 with Alonso, Trulli, Glock and Nakajima in danger.

25' Coulthard and Vettel are the only two drivers who have managed to get a flying lap in so far with seven minutes of Q2 remaining.

27' Only the top ten cars will go into the final ten minute Q3 and Webber won't be one of them.

27' A red flag as Mark Webber goes off at high speed on the way in to turn 6 - a problem with his right front brake.

33' Räikkönen did not pass the pit entry line due to a fuel pressure regulator problem. He effectively stopped on the track so cannot take any further part in qualifying. The world champion will start from 16th on the grid.

Q1 Kovalainen from Nick Heidfeld, Massa and Robert Kubica at the end of Q1 with Räikkönen fifth and Hamilton tenth. Fisichella, Bourdais, Sutil, Sato, PIQUET and Davidson will fill the bottom six slots on the grid.

40' Räikkönen was on a quick lap but is forced to coast into the pits. The mechanics have seven minutes to solve the problem before the start of Q2.

42' Kimi Räikkönen is fifth and Nelsinho Piquet Jr is in real trouble down in 20th.

43' Felipe Massa goes third, three tenths slower than Kovalainen.

45' Ferrari are leaving it very late to go out.

47' Heikki Kovalainen records a super 1:25.664 but Lewis Hamilton makes a mistake on the exit of the penultimate corner and is behind his McLaren team-mate.

48' Williams' flying Finn Nico Rosberg posts 1:26.886 followed by Fernando Alonso and Mark Webber.

49' Toyota's Jarno Trulli now tops the timesheets with 1:27.077.

50' The slowest six cars at the end of the 20 minute Q1 will end their qualifying right then.

53' Bourdais improves to 1:27.446.

54' No traction control this season and Toyota's Timo Glock is on the grass at the first corner - he had to change his gearbox after practice this morning.

55' Track temperature is 40 degrees with the air temperature 23 degrees.

56' Toro Rosso rookie Sebastien Bourdais is first around in 1:30.250.

60' Welcome to a sunny Albert Park and the start of the Formula One season. Qualifying is underway.