Ahead of today's first practice session at Silverstone, scene of the first ever round of the Formula One World Championship, the air temperature is 25 degrees C, while the track temperature is 39 degrees. It's bright and sunny, typical English weather.

There's a new face in the pitlane today, Super Aguri's third driver, Sakon Yamamoto.

The session gets underway and first out is Mondini, followed by Kubica, Davidson, Sato, Doornbos, Wurz and Monteiro.

Local hero Anthony Davidson is first to post a time, the Englishman crossing the line at 1:25.311. Wurz posts 26.894, as Davidson improves to 24.389. Wurz gets down to 1:25.531, as he and Davidson continue to lap the Northamptonshire track alone.

Ten minutes into the session, Yamamoto heads down the pitlane to make his F1 debut for Super Aguri. In the Japanese outfit's garage Montagny watches with interest.

Kubica posts a 1:23.960 to go quickest, as Mondini goes fourth (26.554). Meanwhile, Montagny stops at the end of the main straight, just before Copse, consequently the red flags are brought out.

Around a minute or so later, once the Super Aguri has been pushed back into the pitlane, the session resumes. Jarno Trulli is first to take to the track. Neel Jani is also on track, the Swiss driver, who is replacing Nicolas Lapierre in the GP2 event(s), has a busy weekend ahead of him.

Having completed an installation lap, Trulli continues round but pits at the end of the second lap, having failed to post a time.

Davidson goes quickest (23.264), ahead of Kubica, Wurz, Jani, Mondini and Yamamoto. The Japanese driver, who has completed 5 laps, is 13s off the pace. Elsewhere, teammate Takuma Sato has a big spin but is able to continue.

Approaching half-time, there are just seven names on the timesheets, and only two drivers (Wurz and Mondini) on track.

Kubica leaves the pits and is immediately on the pace, almost half-a-second quicker than Davidson at the first split. Sure enough, the Pole takes top spot with a 1:22.365.

This prompts Davidson to come out again, as Jani also heads off down the pitlane.

Fastest through the speed-trap thus far is Kubica, who crosses the beam at 180.81 mph.

Davidson improves with a 22.440, which takes him within 0.075s of Kubica, as Yamamoto improves to 30.613.

With eighteen minutes remaining, Fernando Alonso leaves the pits, the fourteenth driver to go out this morning, though only seven have posted time, thus far. Having completed 'the lap', the Spaniard returns to the pits.

As Fisichella leaves the pits, Alexander Wurz goes quickest in the second sector. The Austrian is equally quick in the final sector and crosses the line at 1:21.946 to go quickest.

In the Super Aguri garage Franck Montagny looks suitably pissed off, he has had a number of technical problems during his time with the Japanese team.

Robert Kubica is on another hot lap, going quickest in the first sector. He loses time in the second sector, as Davidson goes quickest in the first. The Pole fails to improve, but Davidson is still setting a blistering pace. The Englishman is quickest in the final sector also, but his time of 1:22.003 is only good enough for second, 0.057s off Wurz' best.

In the pits all the 'big guns' wait in their cars, hopefully we will see some action in the remaining nine minutes.

Mondini improves to fourth (24.087), ahead of Jani, Yamamoto and Sato. Elsewhere, Jarno Trulli is back on track. Barrichello, Coulthard and Raikkonen all leave their garages, as do Montoya and Button.

Trulli goes fourth with a 1:23.407, as Scott Speed leaves the pitlane.

Wurz goes quickest in the second sector, but fails to improve. Meanwhile Mondini has spun off and is stuck in the gravel, his session over.

Barrichello goes fifth (23.128), as Button takes sixth (23.986). Trulli consolidates fourth place with a 1:22.877.

Villeneuve, Massa and Michael Schumacher are all on track.

Much is expected of the Ferraris this weekend, with Alonso admitting that he fears the pace of the 248 F1 here.

The two red cars are running together, at the first split Michael is 0.4s up on his teammate. At the line the German goes fifth (22.925), as the Brazilian goes twelfth (24.512).