As it happened: 2010 Bahrain - Free Practice 1

• 06:30

  Good morning Fact-Fans.

• 06:32

  From @5LiveF1: all quiet in the pitlane, drivers out by the start finish line for the driver photos... calm before the storm...

• 06:32

  From @clubforce: Seemed to be a late night for the most of the paddock, especially the new boys. Just seen Bruno Senna's HRT going to scrutineering

• 06:35

  From @jakehumphreyF1: Off to the grid to film a link for Sunday's opener alongside EVERY driver & car! Also, all living F1 World Champs here this weekend.

  As has been suggested so many times before... Kimi?

• 06:35

  "As has been suggested so many times before... Kimi?" was added by the FBFB.

• 06:39

  It was confirmed yesterday that Alain Prost will serve as a steward in Bahrain, one of the first ex-drivers to do so. Full story: Prost joins stewards for Bahrain

• 06:42

  A link to the BBC thread: F1 - Live - Bahrain GP Practice

• 06:43

  From @ToroRossoSpy: Hispania Racing have no seats on their pit wall set up. Maybe the engineers are not planning on being there too long.

• 06:47

  Autosport Live have also woken up: Friday Practice 1

• 06:47

  Track temperature 35 degrees, air temperature 28 degrees.

  Via @clubforce.

• 06:48

  Spotted by Lukeh, posted by @TheFifthDriver: http://twitpic.com/181w2d

• 06:54

  A similar photograph from @MyLotusRacing: http://twitpic.com/181x1p

• 06:55

  The BBC feed has begun.

• 06:59

  From @rf1paddockpass: Engines firing up. 3 mins to go. Vitaly getting settled in the car for his first ever F1 session...

• 07:00

  Green light.

• 07:00

  Trulli out first.

• 07:04

  Top five: Trulli, Alguersuari, Buemi, Kovi and Sutil. Top four back in pits.

• 07:09

  From @sarahholtf1: The new Hispania team are frantically assembling their car with Senna and Chandhok watching. Will they get in the car during this session?

• 07:10

  Glock the only man out on track.

• 07:11

  From @ToroRossoSpy: Installation laps ok. Now in garage for quite a while.

• 07:11

  Chandhok, Senna, di Grassi the only three not to go out at all yet.

• 07:12

  Senna says his car is almost ready to go, but Karun's might not be ready for this session.

• 07:14

  Track temp dropped to 37, air up to 29, wind: 2 m/s from 74.

• 07:16

  From A-Live: This traditional quiet period may extend for some time here, with the usual lack of interest in running on a dusty circuit.

• 07:18

  Both Sauber drivers are hanging out in the garage. Neither have helmets on, neither look to be going out in a hurry.

• 07:21

  Stefano: Ferrari not at the front, behind main competitors but the season is long and he's "staying cool."

• 07:22

  Kovalainen heads out on track.

• 07:24

  From A-Live: Tyre allocation has been reduced this year, with only 11 sets available to each driver. One set of the harder, 'prime' rubber compound must be handed back after this session, so the teams have some motivation to run this morning.

• 07:26

  Karun Chandhok not even in his race overalls.

• 07:27

  First lap time to Kovi: 2:07.702.

• 07:30

  Comment from Mr C: bob bell saying the mclaren wing is "completely illegal".

• 07:31

  Second car to go out - Trulli. Lotus putting in the laps this morning.

• 07:33

  From BBC live thread - Sarah Holt: The intense desert heat is enough to make anything wilt and the atmosphere ahead of 2010's season-opener felt a little subdued as Formula 1 made its first stop in Bahrain. A temperature check on day one clocked 29C and most people stayed hidden in the shade of the wide paddock -there weren't quite the lively, back-to-school spirits experienced at 2009's Australian curtain-raiser.

• 07:37

  Hamilton hits the track, now it's a bit cleaner.

• 07:40

  Funny tweet from @Scott_Joslin_F1: Breaking News! FIA rules Mclaren's wing illegal after it was found out it would take effort from Renault to understand!

• 07:41

  From A-Live: Hamilton is 1.4 seconds quicker than Kovalainen's Lotus through the first sector. Team-mate Button is now on track as well.

• 07:42

  A more representative time from LewHam: 1:57.759

• 07:44

  Maurice Hamilton says talk of new teams being a danger is ridiculous - top drivers should be able to navigate everyone else on the field.

• 07:44

  Lots of drivers heading out of the pit lane now. Hamilton still top for now.

• 07:45

  From @clubforce: action! tonio strapped in the car going out for first run of the day, 7 timed laps, prime tyres

• 07:49

  From A-Live: The newly-extended middle sector with its series of twisting corners is taking over a minute to navigate on these early runs.

• 07:51

  From @adamcooperf1 regarding HRT drivers: They've been watching the on-board footage from other cars to get an idea of what the new section looks like

• 07:51

  From @rf1paddockpass: Main updates on the car for this race: front wing as per Barcelona test, floor and top body.

• 07:53

  Massa overtakes a slower Pedro de la Rosa down the home straight.

• 07:54

  Great comment from James: We just saw what might be the only overtake of the weekend ;)

• 07:56

  Alonso fastest, dropping times down to 1:56.909.

• 07:59

  Vettel has a bit of an off. Many drivers have done so, finding the limits of the track. The new section of track is rather bumpy as well. Replays show several cars sending sparks flying.

• 08:00

  Comment from Steven: Michael is not happy #shame

• 08:03

  Kovi says back of his seat is really hot and he's burning.

• 08:03

  Or his feet. One or the other.

• 08:04

  Mike Gascoyne says hydraulic line is touching his leg, they can insulate it no problem.

• 08:06

  Sutil in P1 - 1:56.888

• 08:07

  From @LiamWF1: Power supply problems on the pod on Rubens side of the garage has slightly delayed his programme in P1

• 08:08

  Senna in the car, ready to hit the track.

• 08:09

  The Hispania car heads out for the first time ever (with a bit of a push) - the Senna name returns to F1... tentatively.

• 08:12

  Bruno back in the garage again, installation lap complete.

• 08:13

  15 minutes to go - track temperature up to 42 degrees.

• 08:15

  A-Live: Adrian Sutil found another tenth of a second during that first serious run of laps. The best time is now 1m56.583s. Seven drivers are within one second of his pace.

• 08:17

  Speed traps:
  

  - S1 - SUT 249 km/h

  - S2 - BUT 275 km/h

  - S3 - HAM 290 km/h

  - Trap - HAM 331 km/h

• 08:19

  From @clubforce: both drivers reporting a big bump through turn six that unsettles the car in a big way

• 08:21

  Glock is out on track in the Virgin Racing car, di Grassi remains in the garage.

• 08:23

  Ten minutes to go, seven drivers still in the pits. Chandhok not been out at all. Senna been out for one lap, di Grassi two.

• 08:25

  Kovalainen completed the most laps so far - 18 and still going.

• 08:32

  Session over.
  

  
  

  SUT, ALO, KUB, MAS, BUT, HAM, LIU, ROS, WEB, MSC
  

  
  

  Full results shortly.

• 08:40

  Full results: Free Practice 1

• 08:40

  Thanks to everyone for joining us. Factbyte Factbox returns at 10:30 for Free Practice 2.