26/02/2015
NEWS STORY
While today's session got under way in almost perfect conditions - bright and sunny, though a little nippy - just over an hour before the lunch break it began to rain, sending the eight drivers on duty - remember, Force India isn't in action until tomorrow - scurrying to their garages.
We say eight, but we really mean seven, Jenson Button having completed just 7 laps this morning as McLaren and Honda continue to work on the MGU-K issue that blighted last week's test.
While Kimi Raikkonen was the first driver on track this morning, the honour of posting the first timed lap fell to Lewis Hamilton, whilst the dubious honour of first red flag went to Daniil Kvyat, the Russian grinding to a halt in the pitlane, much like his teammate did last week.
With Melbourne just two weeks away, most of the teams are running new parts, some more than others.
While Williams is running a new rear wing and sidepod deflectors, Toro Rosso technical director James Key says the Faenza outfit is effectively running a new car. Most noticeable difference to the car which ran here last week is the nose (pictured), which harks back to the protrusions we witnessed in 2014.
All-in-all a quiet morning, with no major incidents or failures, other than McLaren's lack of running.
At a hastily convened press conference, Ron Dennis and Eric Boullier confirmed that Fernando Alonso was at one point unconscious following last week's crash, though the team has not discussed the accident with him.
The Spaniard was keen to test here this week, but the team and the doctors felt it best that he rest. The decision as to whether he drives in Melbourne will rest with the doctors.
That said, the question of whether he wants to drive in Melbourne will rest with McLaren and Honda sorting out the car.
Morning Times - All Times Unofficial
| Name | Team | Laps | Time | Gap |
| Hamilton | Mercedes | 48 | 1:24.881 | 122.680 mph |
| Massa | Williams | 29 | 1:25.763 | 0.882 |
| Kvyat | Red Bull | 44 | 1:25.947 | 1.066 |
| Grosjean | Lotus | 33 | 1:27.079 | 2.198 |
| Ericsson | Sauber | 33 | 1:27.802 | 2.921 |
| Raikkonen | Ferrari | 28 | 1:27.813 | 2.932 |
| Sainz | Toro Rosso | 34 | 1:27.866 | 2.985 |
| Button | McLaren | 7 | 1:31.479 | 6.598 |
Check out our Thursday gallery, here.