Sebastien Vettel and Rubens Barrichello went third and fourth and both BMW Saubers showed some pace too, featuring at the top end of the leaderboard throughout the session.
Practice one was the first opportunity for teams and drivers to try the new, state-of-the-art Yas Marina circuit, with its innovative pit-exit that runs downhill and through a tunnel and the luxurious hotel that straddles the edge of the track.
As has been usual this season, Toro Rosso rookie Jaime Alguersuari was the first to venture out on track to complete flying laps and he scraped into the 1m49s with just over an hour left in the session.
Sebastien Buemi in the second Toro Rosso joined his team-mate on out on track and the Frenchman became the first to breach the 1m47 barrier with a 1m47.2.
Buemi continued to improve into the 1m46s, however Nico Rosberg in the Williams shuffled him down to second on the timesheets, when he recorded a 1m46.1.
Halfway through the first 90 minute session of the weekend, the times began to really improve and the Red Bull pairing of Mark Webber and Sebastien Vettel were the first of the front-runners to make an impression.
Webber, having completed a few sghter laps previously, was the first of the RBR cars to record a representative time, getting himself into the 1m45s, however, he was soon beaten by Vettel when the young German crossed the line in 1m45.3.
Lewis Hamilton is tipped for the win this weekend, as the Yas Marina circuit, with its long straights into slow corners should play into the hands of the KERS-equipped cars.
The 2008 world champion demonstrated this by setting relatively quick lap times straight out of the box and he eventually went fastest overall with a 1m44.9.
Webber carried on pumping in the fast lap times and he eclipsed Hamilton’s time by one tenth with a 1m44.8 with less than 35 minutes to go in P1.
Robert Kubica also joined Hamilton and Webber in the 1m44s to go third fastest, splitting the McLaren’s of Hamilton and Kovalainen.
Jenson Button pushed hard throughout the session, running wide on a number of occasions and even spinning out between turns 18 and 19, forcing him to abandon many of his flying laps.
But, the newly-crowned world champion managed to pull together three quick sectors to leap to the top of the timesheets above Webber and Hamilton with a 1m44.524.
Nick Hamilton then responded to Button’s lap, lifting the bar by a further three tenths with a 1m44.219 with around 15 minutes left and Nick Heidfeld followed the Briton across the line with the third fastest time, proving that BMW Sauber have the pace.
Button and Hamilton continued to improve on eachother’s times, the Brawn driver crossing the line to record a 1m44.0, only to be beaten seconds later by Hamilton who became the first of the runners to enter the 1m43s.
Rubens Barrichello then slotted in at the top end of the timesheets, going firth quickest behind Heidfeld and then improving his time to go third.
Both Red Bulls then returned to track looking to get themselves back to the top of the leaderboard and Vettel was the first to improve, slotting into fourth.
With the exception of Adrian Sutil in the Force India, who went sixth on his final run of P1, nobody else was able to make significant improvements on their times, opting not to run on new sets of tyres, therefore Hamilton and Button remained at the very top of the timesheets to make it a British one-two in first practice.
Practice one was the first opportunity for teams and drivers to try the new, state-of-the-art Yas Marina circuit, with its innovative pit-exit that runs downhill and through a tunnel and the luxurious hotel that straddles the edge of the track.
As has been usual this season, Toro Rosso rookie Jaime Alguersuari was the first to venture out on track to complete flying laps and he scraped into the 1m49s with just over an hour left in the session.
Sebastien Buemi in the second Toro Rosso joined his team-mate on out on track and the Frenchman became the first to breach the 1m47 barrier with a 1m47.2.
Buemi continued to improve into the 1m46s, however Nico Rosberg in the Williams shuffled him down to second on the timesheets, when he recorded a 1m46.1.
Halfway through the first 90 minute session of the weekend, the times began to really improve and the Red Bull pairing of Mark Webber and Sebastien Vettel were the first of the front-runners to make an impression.
Webber, having completed a few sghter laps previously, was the first of the RBR cars to record a representative time, getting himself into the 1m45s, however, he was soon beaten by Vettel when the young German crossed the line in 1m45.3.
Lewis Hamilton is tipped for the win this weekend, as the Yas Marina circuit, with its long straights into slow corners should play into the hands of the KERS-equipped cars.
The 2008 world champion demonstrated this by setting relatively quick lap times straight out of the box and he eventually went fastest overall with a 1m44.9.
Webber carried on pumping in the fast lap times and he eclipsed Hamilton’s time by one tenth with a 1m44.8 with less than 35 minutes to go in P1.
Robert Kubica also joined Hamilton and Webber in the 1m44s to go third fastest, splitting the McLaren’s of Hamilton and Kovalainen.
Jenson Button pushed hard throughout the session, running wide on a number of occasions and even spinning out between turns 18 and 19, forcing him to abandon many of his flying laps.
But, the newly-crowned world champion managed to pull together three quick sectors to leap to the top of the timesheets above Webber and Hamilton with a 1m44.524.
Nick Hamilton then responded to Button’s lap, lifting the bar by a further three tenths with a 1m44.219 with around 15 minutes left and Nick Heidfeld followed the Briton across the line with the third fastest time, proving that BMW Sauber have the pace.
Button and Hamilton continued to improve on eachother’s times, the Brawn driver crossing the line to record a 1m44.0, only to be beaten seconds later by Hamilton who became the first of the runners to enter the 1m43s.
Rubens Barrichello then slotted in at the top end of the timesheets, going firth quickest behind Heidfeld and then improving his time to go third.
Both Red Bulls then returned to track looking to get themselves back to the top of the leaderboard and Vettel was the first to improve, slotting into fourth.
With the exception of Adrian Sutil in the Force India, who went sixth on his final run of P1, nobody else was able to make significant improvements on their times, opting not to run on new sets of tyres, therefore Hamilton and Button remained at the very top of the timesheets to make it a British one-two in first practice.
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