Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer

"One of the shortest off-seasons in Formula 1 history is already over and today the nine teams who have survived the winter will begin to discover what Jenson Button describes as 'where you are going that season'. Up and down the pit lane in Jerez this morning there will be people caught in a whirl of emotions, focused on nervous anticipation.

"'It is exciting but also stressful,' says Button, 'getting the car ready for the first test and hoping it is what they think it is.' After a lot of shuffling throughout the grid, including two multiple world champions moving teams, this first test is as fascinating as it has been for years, even if inevitably only hints of the season to come may be revealed over the next four days. Button, for his part, will get his first taste of the McLaren on Monday after watching Fernando Alonso test on Sunday."

Image source, Mercedes

Is this the first F1 driver selfie of 2015? Title rivals and team-mates Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton are all smiles after they pulled off the covers on the new Mercedes which they hope will guide them to the world title.

Image source, Mercedes

F1 journalist Dan Knutson in Jerez: "The sun had not even peeked over the hills - sunrise in Jerez was at 08:26 - when Mercedes unveiled their 2015 car in the pit lane.

"Williams drivers Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas pulled the cover off the new Williams a few minutes later. Nico Rosberg, who is driving today, is certainly in a good mood. He was smiling broadly and waved and said hello to the assembled media waiting to see the new Mercedes.

"The air temperature is 3.4C and track is 3.3C, but clear skies, and not windy like yesterday."

Morning everybody and welcome to our live text coverage of the first day of pre-season testing for the 2015 Formula 1 World Championship.

Jerez, home of the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art and its dancing horses, is our host for the first of three four-day test sessions.

Testing, as the name suggests, is an opportunity for teams to run their new shiny machines for the first time to iron out the creases so that when they arrive in Melbourne in March for the first race, they're as best prepared as they can be.

The wait is almost over.

Sixty nine days after Lewis Hamilton clinched the world title, Formula 1 is preparing to kick back into gear.

The new cars have been designed and manufactured - well mostly, anyway - and the drivers, many of which are in new surroundings - are raring to go.

So I suggest you sit back, buckle up and prepare yourself for another season, because this one has all the hallmarks of another classic.