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Australian GP - Qualifying

Qualifying starts but no cars have gone out yet.

3 min: Not even a single car out on the track.

5 min: Something is moving - it is the Arrows of Enrique Bernoldi

6 min: Enrique Bernoldi's first flying lap is 1.31.326

7 min: It is hot and it is going to get hotter. Track temperatures are already over 30 degrees

9 min: Enrique Bernoldi is back in the pits.

10 min: Tarso Marques comes out.

11 min: Tarso Marques is on a fast lap but he is untidy and all over the track - unlikely to be a good time

13 min: As expected his lap was not so good at 1.35.996 - that may not even qualify for the race!

14 min: Jacques Villeneuve is out on the track.

15 min: Fernando Alonso comes out too

16 min: McLaren are getting ready to send both drivers out.

17 min: Jacques Villeneuve takes provisional pole at 1.30.035 and immediately returns to the pit.

19 min: Fernando Alonso does a 1.32.338

20 min: Jos Verstappen is on a fast lap.

21 min: Jos Verstappen posts lap of 1.31.859

22 min: Currently Jacques Villeneuve is 1st

23 min: Kimi Raikkonen has just taken 2nd with a lap of 1.30.123

24 min: Rubens Barrichello in top spot with 1.28.178 considerably slower than Michael Schumacher's times this morning

25 min: Ralf Schumacher moves into second (1.29.457)

28 min: Nick Heidfeld is now in second (1.29.218)

29 min: Jarno Trulli and Mika Hakkinen on the track

30 min: Mika Hakkinen on pole (1.28.098) and Olivier Panis 4th (1.29.646)

31 min: Michael Schumacher on pole (1.27.675)

32 min: Most cars back in the pits. For a moment there it was as busy as London when the sun shines.

33 min: Heinz Harald Frentzen posts 1.28.715

34 min: Top 6 positions are Michael Schumacher, Mika Hakkinen, Rubens Barrichello, Heinz Harald Frentzen, Nick Heidfeld and Ralf Schumacher.

37 min: Rubens Barrichello fastest at 1.27.515

39 min: More cars out on the circuit.

40 min: Heinz Harald Frentzen sets a time of 1.27.658 and moves into third.

41 min: Two Ferraris on the front row at this stage. Hakkinen is on the third row - so we can expect the flying Finn out any second now. Coulthard is on the fourth row?

46 min: Michael Schumacher drops below the 27second mark (1.26.892) and is back on pole.

47 min: Tarso Marques spins off and is stuck in the gravel trap.

48 min: Luciano Burti crashes, this is his second this weekend - session is stopped.

50 min: Luciano Burti is fine. His car is a little ruined though, missing wheels and most of the tail end.

Session is restarted after 10 minutes

51 min: Rubens Barrichello out, presumably to get that elusive pole position back. A big field goes out with him so it could be difficult.

52 min: Oops, Rubens Barrichello runs a little wide mowing the lawns - not this lap Rubens.

53 min: Jacques Villeneuve takes 6th (1.28.435)

55 min: David Coulthard claws up to 5th (1.28.010)

57 min: Time is running out

59 min: Barrichello moves up to 2nd place 1.27.263

1 hr: Ralf Schumacher posts lap of 1.27.719 which gets him on the third row of the grid with David Coulthard.

Session over with Michael Schumacher ahead of Rubens Barrichello and Mika Hakkinen. Heinz Harald Frentzen, Ralf Schumacher and David Coulthard make the top 6.
The rest of the field: Jarno Trulli, Jacques Villeneuve, Olivier Panis, Nick Heidfeld, Juan Pablo Montoya, Eddie Irvine, Kimi Raikkonen, Jean Alesi, Jos Verstappen, Jenson Button, Giancarlo Fisichella, Enrique Bernoldi, Fernando Alonso, Gaston Mazzacane, Luciano Burti and Tarso Marques who clocked a time over the 107% required for qualifying.