Welcome to LIVE text commentary of the inaugural Indian Grand Prix Free Practice 2 from the Buddh International Circuit in New Dehli. I'll be taking you through the session in its entirety, and you can get in touch with me at any point to let me know your views and comments on the action -

Oh dear! Maldonado spins off at turn nine and beaches his car in the gravel trap, and that does not look prettty. Out comes the yellow flag.

Vettel leads the way as he clocks a swift 1:28.014 to head the timesheets, and he makes his mark.

Alonso is seventh quickest thus far as he make valuable progress following his disastrous opening session.

Buemi goes fastest with a 1:31.306, and he makes good early running in his Toro Rosso.

Petrov tops the timesheet early on as he posts a 1:35.418 on the hard compound tyres.

D'Ambrosio is the first man to head out of the garage, and he makes his way out onto the track.

There is a crazed rush to get out on the track by.... well, no one. Okay, so the drivers will bide their time!

Britain's Lewis Hamilton was fastest in first practice. Red Bull looked to have made the perfect start to the weekend, Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber having covered the first and second positions in the final moments, but that was until Hamilton's charging 1:26.836s lap put him top as the chequered flag fell.

The Indian Grand Prix is the latest in a long line of new venues on the F1 calendar - but can the new arrival succeed where others have seemingly failed and create a new audience for the sport? That is the question posed by our own inimitable

This Grand Prix weekend has been a long time in the making for India. There has been a lot of uncertainty with the date moved and then moved back to its original time following the Bahrain problems of earlier in the year. But we should have a cracking weekend in New Delhi!