Postpublished at 05:25 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2018
Jennie Gow
BBC Radio 5 live pit-lane reporter
I actually don’t know what’s going to happen in qualifying today. What a very nice feeling!
Summary
Hamilton on pole, Bottas crashes heavily
Raikkonen 2nd, Vettel 3rd, Verstappen 4th
Both McLarens out in Q2, Sirotkin, Toro Rossos out in Q1
Postpublished at 05:25 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2018
A bad startpublished at 05:21 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2018
Image source, Getty ImagesIf it is to be Daniel Ricciardo's year, it's not got off to a great start.
The Australian has been handed a three-place grid penalty for tomorrow's race for speeding under red flag conditions on Friday. To say Ricciardo was unhappy with the punishment is an understatment.
He, perhaps more than anyone, will need to be absolutely on it in qualifying today.
Australia's long waitpublished at 05:18 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2018
Image source, .The Brits have historically done well in Australia, claiming 11 wins in 33 years. In contrast, the hosts are still waiting for a home winner.
Will this be Daniel Ricciardo's year?
Postpublished at 05:12 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2018
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End of twitter postGet involved #bbcf1published at 05:11 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2018
Jennifer Harris: Set alarm for 02:30 but didn't wake until 03:45. Just caught up reading what happened. Kettle on, ready for qualy.
The man to beatpublished at 05:09 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2018
Image source, Getty ImagesLewis Hamilton has been on pole six times in total in Australia, including in each of the last four races (2008, 2012 and 2014-17).
He has twice gone on to win from starting at the front of the grid - in 2008 and 2015.
Get involved #bbcf1published at 05:07 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2018
Melbourne looking lovely now after rain greeted those arriving at the track this morning.
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End of twitter postPostpublished at 05:05 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2018
Yesterday we had sunshine, this morning we had lots of rain and now we have sunshine again.
The typically unpredictable weather in Melbourne means we didn't really learn a lot from final practice. Sebastian Vettel finished quickest but he was one of only three drivers to set a time on dry weather tyres.
It leaves us with a few uncertainties over what will happen in qualifying, which gets under way at 06:00 GMT. Hopefully things are shaping up for a very close battle for pole position.
Anyone's guesspublished at 05:00 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2018
Image source, Getty ImagesHello!
Sooo anyone fancy predicting what's going to happen in qualifying?
Postpublished at 04:15 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2018
OK we're just going to take a short break but will be back for build up to qualifying at 05:00 GMT.
In the interim, have a read of Andrew Benson's final practice report here.
Final practice summarypublished at 04:13 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2018
Andrew Benson
BBC Sport’s chief F1 writer in MelbourneSebastian Vettel led Kimi Raikkonen to a Ferrari one-two in an unrepresentative wet-dry final practice at the Australian Grand Prix.
Vettel was 2.432 seconds quicker than the Finn as they used dry-weather tyres at the end of a largely wet hour.
Only three drivers ran slicks. The other was Sauber's Marcus Ericsson, who was 0.391secs behind Raikkonen.
Red Bull's Max Verstappen made the biggest impression, setting a stunning pace in the wettest early conditions.
Image source, Getty ImagesGet involved #bbcf1published at 04:10 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2018
Kayleigh: If I do a rain dance in the UK, with OZ in mind, will it work? I don’t want rain here, but a wet quali would be brill for Alo!
Postpublished at 04:07 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2018
What did we learn from that session? Apart from Fernando Alonso wanting a shot at glory not a lot thanks to the conditions.
It started off very wet before drying out towards the end, getting close to the sort of conditions we're expecting for qualifying later today.
Before you go...published at 04:05 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2018
Presumably if you got up in Europe you'll now be heading off for a little snooze. Before you do, here's a couple of things to check out:
FP3 timespublished at 04:05 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2018
Kimi Raikkonen and Marcus Ericsson also managed a late lap on the ultrasofts to go second and third quickest respectively.
Here's the times from final practice:
Image source, F1.com
Chequered flagpublished at 04:03 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2018
Sebastian Vettel finishes quickest in final practice for the Australian Grand Prix.
Image source, Getty ImagesPostpublished at 04:03 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2018
Oh Fernando Alonso is not happy. He never did do a run on the ultrasofts in the end. "What a disaster," he fumes.
Postpublished at 04:01 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2018
And Sebastian Vettel snatches it at the end with 1:26.067, 5.6 seconds quicker than Max Verstappen.
Postpublished at 04:01 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2018
"No heroics," Max Verstappen is urged just before he goes quickest of all 1:31.680 but Sebastian Vettel is coming round on his dry-tyre run and he's flying...
Image source, Getty ImagesPostpublished at 04:00 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2018
Jennie Gow
BBC Radio 5 live pit-lane reporterThey are taking the tyres off Lewis Hamilton's car and he is getting out of it. Whatever the plan was it has been scrapped.