Drivers get their first chance to test out the new $400 million Circuit of the Americas in opening practise for the US Grand Prix.

So first practice on this opening day of the US Grand Prix comes to an end. Join us again at just before 19.00 for FP2.

Massa, Hulkenberg, Kobayashi Rosberg and Perez round out the top ten.

Alonso in third, Button fourth and Webber in fifth are all two seconds below the pace.

So after that first practice at the all new Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, Vettel is number one with a time 1.418s quicker than his nearest rival Hamilton.

So the session ends with championship leader and World Champion Vettel way ahead of his rivals with his 1m38.125s benchmark.

Hamilton pits in a late attempt to reclaim the lead but their isn't time to register another fast lap.

Takes that. Vettel jumps ahead of Hamilton and tops the timesheet with a 1m38.692s. That puts the German 0.851s ahead of second placed Hamilton.

Raikkonen makes an improvement as the session nears its conclusion. He puts his Lotus eighth with a 1m41.880s, two seconds off the lead pace.

Vettel is trying to close the gap in these final minutes but he can't improve after going well through the first two sectors.

Again Hamilton improves with a new best of 1m39.543s. He is 0.648s ahead of second placed Vettel.

Still no-one within half a second of Hamilton.

Hamilton increases his lead at the top of the timesheet with a much faster 1m39.687s time. That is a marker.

Kovalainen goes into the Caterham garage after his Turn 9 incident a few minutes ago, but now Webber (Turn 8) and Schumacher (Turn 11) both have 'moments' of their own.

The McLaren team are telling Hamilton he is slower than Alonso in the first sector, but they believe that is down to the Ferrari driver's newer tyres.

At turn 9 we see Kovalainen take a spin as he loses control of his Caterham, but he's soon back in action.

Di Resta rejoins after a spell in the pits, he heads back out in tenth place at present.

Vettel continues his improvement and moves up to second, 0.160s below Hamilton.

Hispania's Ma Qing Hua is in last position by a significant margin (over 18 seconds) but is now looking to register a time.

Vettel is lurking and improves to fourth, the Red Bull man eight tenths off leader Hamilton at present.

Massa takes a big step forward to go into seventh with his best time so far, a 1m42.142s, for Ferrari.