Summary

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Live Reporting

Lorraine McKenna and Tasnim Chowdhury

  1. Get Involved

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    There’s nothing else that would get me up at 5am on a Saturday AND 4am on a Sunday! Welcome back F1.

    Rachel, Lincoln

    Frustrating that Sainz didn't even get a lap time in.

    Becci, Yorkshire

  2. Russell to the top

    The Mercedes is showing why it's many people's favourite to mount a serious title challenge this season as Kimi Antonelli goes quickest followed by his team-mate George Russell, who is the first driver to drop us into the 1:18s this weekend.

  3. Marc Priestley
    Former F1 mechanic on BBC Radio 5 Live

    That lap from Charles Leclerc, although it's fastest at the moment, it's nowhere near quick enough to take the fastest time this session.

    I think we're going to see times tumbling dramatically from there.

  4. Leclerc puts down time

    Charles LeclercGetty Images

    Charles Leclerc is off the mark in Q2 with an opening time of 1:20.088 on the soft tyres. Alex Albon lifts the Williams up just behind the Ferrari man on the same compound but the gap is nearly two seconds between the pair.

  5. Marc Priestley
    Former F1 mechanic on BBC Radio 5 Live

    For all those Lewis Hamilton fans, he's looking a lot more comfortable in this type and generation of Formula 1 car.

    He at least looks like he's very much on the same pace as Charles Leclerc, often in front of him, so a much happier Hamilton.

    Ferrari have a car that is certainly in the conversation of being a front runner.

  6. Team radio - Perez

    "Well done guys, I mean it's been a very tricky start, with many problems, but we're getting there. Now we need to really, really find the pace."

  7. Go! Go! Go!

    Q2 is green.

  8. Phew. That was frantic.

    Max Verstappen has it all to do at the Australian Grand Prix tomorrow but it's only the opening race of the season - plenty of time for the four-time world champion to recover.

    George Russell was 0.157 seconds quicker than Oscar Piastri in that session, with Lewis Hamilton in third and the other McLaren of world champion of Lando Norris in fourth.

    Max VerstappenGetty Images

  9. Team radio - Antonelli

    "Thank you guys, you are the best."

  10. Out in Q1

    17. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)

    18. Sergio Perez (Cadillac)

    19. Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac)

    20. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

    21. Carlos Sainz (Williams)

    22. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)

  11. Franco Colapinto drops into the danger zone in the Alpine and is 17th and is joined by the two Cadillacs of Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas. The Argentine manages to save himself at the last moment, pushing Fernando Alonso down and out. The Spaniard almost dragged Aston Martin into Q2 but he just misses out.

  12. Andrew Benson
    BBC F1 correspondent in Melbourne

    It's interesting that Charles Leclerc is second on the medium tyre, so they've obviously got some potential when they put the soft tyre on.

    Let's see whether they can get close to George Russell's pace when it gets into Q2 and Q3.

  13. Russell back to the top

    Oscar Piastri gives the home crows something to cheer about as he jumps above Lewis Hamiilton in the McLaren but that Mercedes is looking rapid this weekend and George Russell soon finds himself back at the top with a 1:19.507 on the soft rubber.

  14. Hamilton goes quickest

    George Russell is pushed down to second on the timesheets after Lewis Hamilton clocks the fastest time of Q1 so far with a 1:19.811 on the medium compound.

    Kimi Antonelli has apparently got no GPS in the car but that doesn't stop the teenager from going third quickest on the timesheets with his first flying lap.

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    Definitely something wrong with his car, Verstappen does not crash like that.

    Errol, Ipswich

  16. Max Verstappen is definitely out of this session after his off a few moments ago, while Carlos Sainz at Williams and Lance Stroll over at Aston Martin are also up against it to get a time on the board in Q1.

    Kimi Antonelli has headed out on track but now the Italian has been noted for a pit lane infringement.

  17. Drop zone

    17. Sergio Perez (Cadillac)

    18. Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac)

    . Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

    . Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)

    . Carlos Sainz (Williams)

    . Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)

  18. The bike has arrived to pick Max Verstappen up and take him back to the Red Bull garage while his stricken car is heading in for some emergency surgery after that heavy shunt. Verstappen flew across the gravel and took a hefty shunt, and now he'll start towards the back of the grid for the season opener.

    The good news for Mercedes is they've been able to get Kimi Antonelli patched up and in the queue ready to go out on track.

  19. Marc Priestley
    Former F1 mechanic on BBC Radio 5 Live

    Max Verstappen locked the rear wheels under braking going into Turn One.

    I think what happens is he gets caught out by the massive energy harvesting, the braking that is being done on the rear axle alone by the electric motors.

    A lot of people have been caught out by this in the new cars.

  20. Team radio - Verstappen

    Engineer: "All OK Max?"

    Verstappen: "Yep, the car just locked on the rear axles, fantastic."