Summary

  • Hamilton dominates both practice sessions

  • Palmer crashes out, Massa breaks down

  • Get involved: #bbcf1 - your greatest car liveries

  • Hamilton more than a second ahead of top Ferrari in first practice

  1. Postpublished at 06:50 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2017

    Right. That's it from me. If you decided to skip practice in favour of sleep, then read Andrew Benson's report on how things unfolded here.

    I'll be back at the delightful hour of 02:30 GMT tomorrow for final practice and then qualifying. Hope to have you along for company.

    Cheerio.

  2. Postpublished at 06:48 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2017

    It wasn't smooth sailing for everyone, though, with Jolyon Palmer, Felipe Massa and Marcus Ericsson all seeing their running cut short earlier than expected.

    Palmer outImage source, AP
    Massa outImage source, Rex Features
    Ericcson outImage source, Getty Images
  3. Postpublished at 06:45 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2017

    Too early to write off the season just yet, Marcus, although it does look rather ominous. 

    That was smooth sailing for Lewis Hamilton, who looked streets ahead of his rivals.

  4. Get involved #bbcf1published at 06:43 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2017

    Dan Franks: Hamilton clearly was taking it easy in testing   

    Marcus P Knight: Oh dear. Looks likely we're in for a dull season. Hope I'm wrong.  

  5. Postpublished at 06:40 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2017

  6. Postpublished at 06:36 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2017

    Dominant stuff from Lewis Hamilton as he finishes half a second clear of the rest. 

    The Briton has been bigging up Ferrari all year, but it looks like he is indeed going to be the man to beat.

    HamiltonImage source, Rex Features
  7. FP2 - the restpublished at 06:34 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2017

    11) Sergio Perez 12) Fernando Alonso 13) Esteban Ocon 14) Felipe Massa 15) Marcus Ericsson 16) Lance Stroll 17) Stoffel Vandoorne 18) Pascal Wehrlein 19) Kevin Magnussen 20) Jolyon Palmer

  8. FP2 top 10published at 06:33 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2017

    1) Lewis Hamilton 2) Sebastian Vettel 3) Valtteri Bottas 4) Kimi Raikkonen 5) Daniel Ricciardo 6) Max Verstappen 7) Carlos Sainz 8) Romain Grosjean 9) Nico Hulkenberg 10) Daniil Kvyat

  9. chequered flag

    Chequered flagpublished at 06:31 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2017

    That's that!

    Lewis Hamilton finishes fastest in second practice for the Australian Grand Prix.

  10. Postpublished at 06:29 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2017

    We've got a minute to go but it looks like pretty much everyone is opting to call it a day there. Most drivers are back in the pits.

  11. Postpublished at 06:28 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2017

  12. Virtual safety carpublished at 06:27 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2017

    The virtual safety car is deployed as Marcus Ericsson climbs out of his Sauber, which has smoke coming off its brakes. 

    Replays show Ericsson spinning after losing the rear end and ending up facing the opposite direction on the gravel.

    Marcus Ericsson is in the gravelImage source, Getty Images
  13. yellow flag

    Yellow flagpublished at 06:25 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2017

    And another wave of the yellow flags because Marcus Ericsson is into the gravel at Turn Six.

  14. Postpublished at 06:23 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2017

  15. Postpublished at 06:22 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2017

    Andrew Benson
    Chief F1 writer in Melbourne

    Kimi Raikkonen has been out on the utrlrasoft tyre and he is about nine tenths on average slower than Lewis Hamilton. It is even worse for Red Bull because Daniel Ricciardo is another nine tenths behind Raikkonen.

  16. yellow flag

    Yellow flagpublished at 06:21 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2017

    The yellow flags are being waved because a bollard has rolled onto the track. 

  17. Postpublished at 06:19 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2017

    After his gravel trap sojourn, Max Verstappen is in the Red Bull garage as mechanics repair the floor on his car.

    Into the final 10 minutes of second practice.

  18. Get involved #bbcf1published at 06:14 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2017

    Benjamin Stewart: Gary, who was fastest last year in Friday practice in Oz? Hamilton? How much faster are they this year?  

    Lewis Hamilton was fastest in Friday practice last year with 1:29.725. He's around six second quicker this year and two tenths of a second quicker than his pole-winning lap.

  19. Postpublished at 06:11 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2017

    Sparks.

    Sparks from Verstappen's carImage source, Rex Features
  20. Postpublished at 06:11 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2017

    Same story in these race runs as it was in the qualifying runs with Lewis Hamilton lapping quicker than Valtteri Bottas. 

    Ferrari, meanwhile, are mixing things up again with Sebastian Vettel on the supersofts and Kimi Raikkonen on ultrasofts.

    HamiltonImage source, AP