Hello and welcome to our continued live coverage of the season-opening weekend in Melbourne, with the third and final practice session about to start ahead of qualification for Sunday's Australian Grand Prix.

Qualifying is up next in two hours' time, so make sure you join us again then. It promises to be an interesting session!

Hamilton does indeed finish on top of the timesheets. Grosjean claims second with a fine lap, while Webber, Button, Rosberg, Schumacher and Vettel follow.

The countdown clock hits zero and it looks like Hamilton has paced the session.

Hamilton goes top with a 1:25.681! The McLarens are looking good today!

The yellow flag has gone now as Schumacher departs quickly, interesting holding the nose of his car down as it is craned away. He clearly doesn't want anyone having a peek under the car!

There's a yellow flag out as the crane comes out to help Schumacher's stricken Mercedes. And that will probably mean the end of any new, fast times. Webber's lap puts him in third.

Schumacher hits the gravel for a second time this session as Webber flies around the track. Button posts the third fastest time of the day.

Button looks good here, but there's traffic ahead of him and he'll be slowed down.

Grosjean goes quickest with a 1:25.758. The Frenchman now leads from Hamilton, Rosberg, Schumacher, Vettel, Webber and Perez.

Schumacher radios through to his team that he's got an issue with the DRS.

Massa goes out with just over 10 minutes remaining in this session. The Brazilian is on softs - for the first time today.

"Okay, I'm stuck in the gravel" - Vettel, having just jumped into third, locks his rear tyres and slides off into the gravel trap! The two-times world champion will have to wait for the crane to come and get him.

Perez jumps into fifth but Webber soon betters him.

Hamilton eases off in the final stages though and he can't better his time.

Hamilton looks good on this lap... he's flying in the first sector.

We're approaching the business end of this session now... Vettel is fourth in the standings, behind Hamilton and the Mercedes duo.

Petrov has ground to a halt in his Caterham as Mercedes duo Rosberg and Schumacher continue to top the sheets.

Yet more problems for HRT as De La Rosa reports some steering difficulties.

Again, the track goes quiet as the cars head into the garages in readiness of a final assault in this third practice session.

Maldonado hits the grass but, unlike yesterday when it was very soggy, clumps of turf do not stick to his axels as he gets back onto the track before heading into the pits.