Kayleigh: Still love the 2013 @ForceIndiaF1, external   #VJM06, external the Williams car is the best looking this year!  

Shanks Ravi: ING Renault, HP Williams in the early to mid 00s and any Ferrari livery and the current STR.   

Adam Ashmore: Ferrari f2004, all red everything   

Image source, Getty Images

Romain Grosjean storms out onto the track the moment the light turns green at the end of the pit lane.

Fernando Alonso isn't in as much a rush as Grosjean to head out. He is deep in conversation with his race engineer at the moment.

Image source, AFP

We are go!

Ninety minutes of second practice is under way.

Marcus Ericsson is sprawled out on the floor of his garage, clutching his leg. For a second there I thought he'd got cramp but he's just doing his pre-practice stretches.

Image source, Rex Features

It's not just the car that's pink. 

Esteban Ocon's pink helmet does seem to pay homage to a certain Japanese character...

Image source, AFP

Melbourne is up there as one of the best cities in the world for me. What a place to start the new season. 

Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer in Melbourne

Image source, Getty Images

Watching the cars live through the twists and turns of Albert Park, a number of things made an impression. The elegance of Lewis Hamilton on the limit through Turns Eight and Nine, the balancing on a knife-edge, sliding in the transition between right and left but Hamilton dancing beautifully. The violent speed of the cars into Turns 11 and 12, so much faster than last year. And the bizarre mechanical graunching sound of the McLaren-Honda on upshift. This, it would appear, is related to the vibration issues with the Honda engine that the company have admitted they need to solve. And it inevitably costs performance. As a chassis, the McLaren looks pretty good, and Fernando Alonso gave positive feedback on its behaviour to his engineers after the session.  

BBC Radio 5 live sports extra

Anyone following in the UK manage to stay awake for first practice AND second practice? If so, you are an absolute trooper!

Second practice gets under way at 05:00 GMT and you can listen to commentary on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra and via this page.

Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer in Melbourne

Image source, Getty Images

Much has been made of the cleanliness of the Red Bull car design, which does not feature the same level of complexity of aerodynamic appendages seen on many other cars up and down the grid. Freedom to employ these fins and shapers has been increased in the rules this year, but Red Bull have pursued a different philosophy. The key is in the front wing - and particularly the inboard ends of the series of flaps on either side. Take a close look at these, and on the Mercedes and Ferrari you can see that the inner end points downwards towards the wing mainplane. These direct the airflow vortices off the wing around the rest of the car, in this case under the nose, between the wheels and over the series of barge boards in front of the sidepods. 

Red Bull’s inner flaps point more upwards - because they are directing the airflow higher up around the car. So there is reduced need for the intricate cascading flaps downstream. The idea is to have a car that is more consistent in its production of downforce in varying conditions, whereas if the air needs to cascade over so many parts, it is easier for the downforce to be disrupted in, say, a cross-wind or traffic.. It’s a classic example of the philosophy long-espoused by Red Bull design chief Adrian Newey, whose genius resides in not only producing great performance, but in doing it in a manner in which the driver can access more of it more of the time.  

Which car do you think looks the best this season? And what is your all time best-looking car? Let us know via #bbcf1

We got our first look at the Force India's eye-catching livery in first practice. They've gone for pink for the season, inspired by sponsor BWT. Looks great. 

Toro Rosso still the best-looking car in 2017 for me, though.

Image source, Rex Features

Not sure how I'd react if someone presented a massive image of my face to me but Stoff's taking it in his stride here. It probably helps that he's a good-looking chap as well.

Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer in Melbourne

The talk in the paddock between sessions has been all Ferrari - why were the red cars so much slower than they had been in pre-season testing? Mercedes suspected they had their engines turned down. Ferrari said they were not chasing performance because the track was so green and there was no point. And Sebastian Vettel, whose session was disrupted by a DRS problem, was held up by a Sauber on his quickest lap, too. More evidence will emerge from the qualifying-simulation runs in the middle of this second session.

Image source, AFP

Image source, Getty Images

Hello! Welcome along to coverage of second practice for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

If you missed first practice a few hours ago in favour of catching some zzzs then checking the results about now will bring with it a sense of deja vu. Lewis Hamilton was fastest ahead of his Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas, with Red Bull third and fourth. 

Ferrari, despite an impressive showing in pre-season, looked a little off the pace. Alarm bells are certainly not ringing after just 90 minutes of practice in 2017 but more of the same in second practice will certainly raise a concerned eyebrow or two...

Image source, Getty Images

Ever optimistic F1 fan in 2016: "Hey, Ferrari looked close in pre-season testing. Looks like we might have a fight on our hands this season!"

What happened in Australia GP first practice in 2016:  Mercedes finished fastest with Red Bull just behind.

Ever optimistic F1 fan in 2017:  "Hey, Ferrari looked close in pre-season testing. Looks like we might have a fight on our hands this season!"  

What happened in Australia GP first practice in 2017: Mercedes finished fastest with Red Bull just behind.

Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer in Melbourne

Lewis Hamilton led a Mercedes one-two in first practice as a new era of Formula 1 started in familiar fashion at the Australian Grand Prix.

The talk before the weekend in Melbourne had been about the step forward made by Ferrari over the winter but their fastest driver Kimi Raikkonen was down in fifth.

Hamilton was using faster tyres when he set his fastest time, but the Mercedes appeared quicker on the same tyres, too.

Hamilton's team-mate Valtteri Bottas was second ahead of the two Red Bulls.

Read Andrew's full report here

First practice done and dusted then with Lewis Hamilton topping the timesheet, five tenths quicker than his new team-mate Valtteri Bottas. The Mercedes were the only team to give the ultra-softs a go, we are yet to see how the other teams compare on the fastest compound. 

Second practice should provide a better indication of how teams are shaping up for the race as they work their way through long runs. That starts at 05:00 GMT, so join us from half an hour before for build up.

See you then.

Image source, Getty Images

Kieran O'Leary: Up all night listening to Melbourne FP1 is taking me back to my youth and the Jordan glory days. An Irishman living in Edinburgh.   

Edson Charikinya: Early morning in Cape Town, waking up to check first practice leaderboard and reading updates from #bbcf1

11) Carlos Sainz 12) Daniil Kvyat 13) Lance Stroll 14) Fernando Alonso 15) Marcus Ericsson 16) Esteban Ocon 17) Kevin Magnussen 18) Pascal Wehrlein 20) Stoffel Vandoorne