Image source, Getty Images

Earlier we asked you to vote which top driver could be a victim of the new qualifying format?  

Most of you expect Kimi Raikkonen to fall foul of it, with 48% of you saying he will be eliminated early.

Sebastian Vettel was seen as the most unlikely to have any bother with it, taking just 11% of the votes.

Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer in Melbourne

The sun is dipping in the sky as evening approaches in Albert Park, but the tension is rising as the first qualifying session of the new season approaches and the Australian Air Force do their best to burst everyone's ear drums with a spectacular jet display. 

Will it rain? It doesn't look like it any more, but there was a brief shower shortly after final practice and there are plenty of clouds. 

Will anyone big be caught out by the new elimination qualifying? How will Mercedes and Ferrari compare? Not long to wait now...

Jack Nicholls
Radio 5 live Formula 1 commentator in Melbourne

"It will be really interesting to see how the new qualifying format affects teams and drivers - eliminations every 90 seconds could give us a mixed up grid."

Image source, Getty Images

Ayrton Senna holds the record for the most pole positions in Australia with six. Of the current crop of drivers, Lewis Hamilton leads the way with four.

A bad start to Rio Haryanto's career in Formula.

Our vote closes in FIVE minutes. We've been asking which top driver could be a victim of the new qualifying format?

Cast your vote on the right side of this page (desktop) or by clicking the vote tab (mobile devices).

BBC Radio 5 Live

Qualifying gets under way at 06:00 GMT, and you can listen to commentary from Jack Nicholls and the gang from 05:55 GMT on BBC Radio 5 live.

Interesting stuff from Red Bull. This is their concept artwork for a proposed cockpit protection, which will be considered alongside the Halo design for future Formula 1 seasons. 

Red Bull have gone more for the fighter pilot style canopy, with support pillars on either side rather than down the middle of the front that the Halo featured.

The sensible option Joanna!

Image source, F1.com

Q1

• Lasts for 16 minutes – all 22 car take to the track
• After seven minutes, the slowest driver is eliminated.
• Slowest driver eliminated every 90 seconds thereafter until the chequered flag. Seven in total drop out before clock reaches zero.

Q2

• Lasts for 15 minutes – fastest 15 cars take to the track.
• After six minutes, the slowest driver is eliminated.
• Slowest driver is then eliminated every 90 seconds thereafter until the chequered flag. Seven more drivers knocked out.

Q3

• Lasts for 14 minutes – top eight on track. 
• After five minutes, slowest driver eliminated 
• Then, slowest driver eliminated every 90 seconds until the chequered flag. Two drivers competing for pole in the final 90 seconds.

If you've just woken up, getting your head around the new qualifying format is hardly going to help with you shaking off the early morning drowsiness. 

Nevertheless, here's a bit of an explainer about qualifying. Grab a coffee... 

After a lack of any meaningful action yesterday thanks to Melbourne's famously changeable weather, it was good to see the cars get plenty of time on the circuit.

However, excitement is building now as we prepare to take our first step into a new era - that of a new - and hopefully thrilling -  qualifying format...

Image source, Getty Images

Just joining us? 

Qualifying gets under way in one hour but here's quick summary of the key points from final practice:

• Lewis Hamilton was fastest ahead of Nico Rosberg
• However, Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel - third - was just 0.228s behind Hamilton
• Toro Rosso impress as 'best of the rest'
• Rio Haryanto and Romain Grosjean collided in the pits at the start

Have you got your head around the new qualifying format for this season? If not, let Jack Nicholls talk you through it by watching this video here.