| 09:50:12
| Welcome to F1-Live.com and live coverage of the European Grand Prix from the new Valencia street circuit. Today we have two 90-minute free practice sessions, the first of which gets underway in a few minutes. |
| 09:52:37
| The 5.440km circuit runs around the marina area of the city, which was used for the 2007 America's Cup sailing event. The pit and paddock complex will back onto the waterfront, a setting reminiscent of the Monaco Grand Prix. |
| 09:54:12
| Although the city's relatively narrow streets will be used, some of the track will pass over bridges and roadways in the marina district. The lap times are expected to be around the 1:36 mark with an average of around 200kph. |
| 09:56:50
| Since the Hungarian Grand Prix, which saw Heikki Kovalainen record his first win following the late race engine failure in Felipe Massa’s Ferrari, there has been no testing. However, the teams have all used simulators to attain a base-line setup for the new circuit as well as looked at action from F3 and GT cars a few weeks ago. |
| 09:58:19
| While the teams have some data, free practice will be busier than normal as they look to collect additional information about the track and to assess the option (super-soft) and prime (soft) tyres available again from Bridgestone. |
| 10:00:31
| The first practice session is now underway. |
| 10:01:19
| Kubica heads out for his first lap of the new circuit. |
| 10:01:41
| With the exception of Ferrari, they will all complete an installation lap and then pit for checks. |
| 10:02:03
| Mark Webber heads out in the Red Bull Renault. |
| 10:03:01
| Sutil, Vettel and others now on an installation lap as Kubica return to the pits. |
| 10:03:24
| Kovalainen rolls out of the McLaren garage. |
| 10:04:57
| Hamilton is on his installation lap. This circuit is very wide in parts which makes it very different from Monaco. |
| 10:05:59
| Sutil and Hamilton head back to the pits together. |
| 10:06:36
| Glock is on his installation lap in the Toyota. |
| 10:07:33
| Glock return to the pits. |
| 10:08:33
| 16 of the 20 driver have now completed an installation lap. Raikkonen, Massa, Button and Barrichello yet to go out. |
| 10:09:29
| Button heads out in the Honda. No one has set a time as yet. |
| 10:11:23
| Button is back in the pits. No one on track. |
| 10:12:31
| There has been some debate over the gap and bump at the swing bridge. Hopefully it will not be an issue. |
| 10:14:11
| Felipe Massa is getting ready to go out for the first time. |
| 10:15:27
| Sebastien Bourdais is back out in his Toro Rosso Ferrari. |
| 10:16:14
| Button is back out as Bourdais' car bottoms out on the straight. |
| 10:17:01
| Bourdais has backed off and then picks up the pace again to start a timed lap. |
| 10:18:22
| Vettel heads out. Bourdais' car is running too low as it is bottoming out on the straights. |
| 10:18:41
| Alonso heads out in the Renault. |
| 10:19:12
| Bourdais records the first lap time for a Formula One car at this circuit on a 1:50s. |
| 10:20:27
| Button's first lap is ten seconds slower than Bourdais. They are just learning the circuit at this stage. |
| 10:21:19
| Bourdais is starting to pick up the pace. Piquet, Raikkonen and Barrichello join the action. |
| 10:21:55
| Button is slow on track and creating a problem for Alonso who runs wide to avoid him. |
| 10:22:37
| Bourdais is fastest from Vettel, Alonso and Button. |
| 10:23:45
| Vettel has moved fastest ahead of Toro Rosso team-mate Bourdais. |
| 10:24:04
| Raikkonen and Massa are on track. |
| 10:24:31
| Raikkone slides under braking into the final turn. |
| 10:25:11
| Bourdais and Vettel are trading best times. Alonso is third with Raikkonen now up to fourth. |
| 10:25:54
| Rosberg, Nakajima and many others now on track. The circuit is pretty busy right now. |
| 10:26:36
| Another nice slide from Raikkonen as he brakes for the final turn. He moves third fastest and is clearly pushing. |
| 10:27:44
| Massa vaults third fastest, so we have four Ferrari-powered cars at the head of the timesheets at the moment. |
| 10:28:08
| Raikkonen improves and is now fastest on a 1:44. |
| 10:28:29
| Glock moves fifth fastest for Toyota ahead of Alonso and Piquet. |
| 10:29:21
| A gain from Alonso as he moves second, two-tenths behind Raikkonen. |
| 10:29:58
| Raikkonen improves his own best time as the lap times continue to fall. |
| 10:30:59
| Vettel pits after his first stint. |
| 10:31:10
| Alonso also returning to the pits. |
| 10:31:37
| Massa moves second fastest as Raikkonen continues to improve. |
| 10:32:26
| Kovalainen heads out for McLaren. |
| 10:33:17
| Webber, Sutil and Kovalainen are on their first timed laps of the session. |
| 10:33:37
| Glock moves second fastest and splits the Ferrari duo. |
| 10:33:55
| Raikkonen remains a second ahead of the field. |
| 10:34:09
| Hamilton is on the pit wall and seems in no hurry to go out. |
| 10:34:49
| Raikkonen has now pitted. |
| 10:35:36
| Kovalainen's first lap puts him P13. The track remains very dusty and they are all struggling for grip. |
| 10:36:07
| Hamilton and Coulthard are on track for McLaren and Red Bull. |
| 10:36:47
| Trulli is up to third in the second Toyota. |
| 10:36:57
| Kovalainen improves and is now fifth. |
| 10:37:59
| Hamilton kicks up dust on the main straight as he starts a timed lap. |
| 10:39:07
| A gain for Kovalainen who is now up to second and ahead of Glock as Kubica moves fourth for BMW Sauber. |
| 10:39:34
| Hamilton's first lap is a good one as he moves fourth. |
| 10:40:58
| Glock sets the fastest lap of the session and then spins the Toyota into turn two. |
| 10:41:26
| The back end simply came around on turn in and Glock was a passenger. He resumes. |
| 10:41:48
| Hamilton and Kovalainen on fast laps. |
| 10:42:12
| Kovalainen takes the fastest time. |
| 10:43:03
| Now Hamilton moves fastest for McLaren Mercedes. |
| 10:43:34
| Glock has pitted his Toyota. |
| 10:44:12
| Nick Heidfeld gains 11 positions and is now P9. |
| 10:44:37
| A gain for Vettel who moves ahead of Kubica. |
| 10:45:05
| Hamilton joins his team-mate in the pits. |
| 10:46:25
| Alonso moves third fastest for Renault. He is chasing one of the Williams' on track. |
| 10:46:50
| Piquet gets a little out of shape exiting the bridge. |
| 10:48:13
| An impressive lap from Kubica as he moves fastest for BMW Sauber. Team-mate Heidfeld is currently 13th. |
| 10:49:18
| Button is in the run off area at turn two after missing his braking point. Turn two is the first real turn as turn one is a flat out corner. |
| 10:49:37
| Raikkonen is back out. |
| 10:49:58
| Massa is out of the top ten at the moment and is back out. |
| 10:50:33
| Kubica has now pitted as Piquet takes a cut across the kerbing into the final turn. |
| 10:51:44
| Massa moves fourth fastest. |
| 10:52:09
| Raikkonen improves and is now fastest by a tenth from Kubica. |
| 10:52:23
| They are all using the harder tyre at the moment. |
| 10:54:32
| Barrichello is slowest at the moment. He is back out in the Honda. |
| 10:55:11
| Hamilton improves his time but remains third fastest. |
| 10:56:07
| Raikkonen improves his own best by almost three tenths of a second and is now four tenths clear of Kubica who remains in the pits. |
| 10:56:48
| Kovalainen moves third fastest ahead of his team-mate as Trulli has a moment in one of the slower turns. |
| 10:57:05
| Hamilton improves and is now second behind Raikkonen. |
| 10:58:45
| Hamilton is now fastest from Raikkonen who has just gone back out. Massa has moved third ahead of Kubica. |
| 10:59:05
| Fisichella, 19th, runs wide. |
| 10:59:43
| Just a single lap from Raikkonen who returns to the pit. |
| 11:00:23
| Hamilton improves his own best again and is now three-tenths up on Raikkonen. |
| 11:00:39
| Piquet has now worked his way into the top ten. |
| 11:01:31
| Barrichello is now working his way up the timesheets and the Force India duo of Fisichella and Sutil are now slowest. |
| 11:02:16
| Kubica is running well again as he moves ahead of the Ferrari duo and is now second fastest. |
| 11:02:52
| Webber is down in 16th at the moment with Red Bull team-mate Coulthard 18th. |
| 11:05:00
| Hamilton, Raikkonen, Massa and Kovalainen are in the pits. |
| 11:07:20
| Most of the front runners are now in the pits. |
| 11:08:14
| A gain for Vettel who is now fifth fastest for Toro Rosso. Team-mate Bourdais is 11th at the moment as Button runs wide at turn 12. |
| 11:08:53
| Sutil has found over a second and is now 19th and ahead of team-mate Fisichella. |
| 11:10:06
| A moment for Bourdais as the back locks up under braking. |
| 11:10:35
| Raikkonen is back out for Ferrari. |
| 11:11:42
| Piquet runs wide after locking his brakes at the same place as Bourdais a moment ago - turn 17. |
| 11:12:19
| Nakajima moves 11th fastest. Williams team-mate Rosberg is down in 17th. |
| 11:12:35
| Hamilton is now back out. |
| 11:13:29
| Alonso dives for the pits and drives straight through and back out. |
| 11:14:42
| 15 minutes remain in this session. |
| 11:15:45
| A small gain for Trulli who is now tenth fastest in his Toyota, four-tenths behind team-mate Glock. |
| 11:16:18
| Heidfeld is not improving on this latest run. |
| 11:17:19
| Massa is on a fast lap. |
| 11:18:03
| Kovalainen moves up one position and is now fourth fastest. |
| 11:18:48
| Most of the front runners are back out. Massa runs wide and does not improve his time. |
| 11:21:15
| Massa is second fastest now and is on another hot lap. |
| 11:21:37
| All but Nick Heidfeld on track with eight minutes remaining. |
| 11:22:24
| Alonso uses all the kerbing onto the main straight and is now sixth fastest. |
| 11:23:27
| Kovalainen moves fastest for McLaren as team-mate Hamilton makes a quick stop and is straight back out. |
| 11:24:14
| Heidfeld remains in the pits. |
| 11:24:53
| Bourdais improves and is now sixth fastest. |
| 11:25:44
| Coulthard is now slowst in P20. He is on a better lap at the moment though but Red Bull do not look strong. |
| 11:26:00
| Heidfeld is now on track. |
| 11:26:39
| Vettel moves fastest for Toro Rosso! |
| 11:27:09
| Hamilton moves second fastest behind Vettel and ahead of Kovalainen. |
| 11:27:43
| Trulli runs wide again. He is struggling for grip this morning. |
| 11:27:52
| Trulli pits. |
| 11:28:28
| Hamilton spins under braking but is able to continue. |
| 11:28:55
| Hamilton and Kovalainen both pit. |
| 11:30:02
| The chequered flag is out. |
| 11:30:41
| Massa moves fastest for Ferrari. |
| 11:31:04
| Vettel is on another fast lap. |
| 11:33:14
| Vettel did improve and he ends the session fastest of all. |
| 11:33:44
| So Vettel is fastest from Massa, Hamilton, Bourdais, Kovalainen, Kubica, Raikkonen, Nakajima, Alonso and Rosberg. |
| 11:34:25
| Coulthard's Red Bull is off the track. It seems he may have gone off on his last lap. |
