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MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Reigning Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton set the fastest time in first practice for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, though a wet track at the Albert Park street circuit meant there was little meaningful running on Friday.
Hamilton best lap was 1:29.725 seconds — 3.4 seconds slower than last year's pole position time — and that was four tenths of a second faster than Daniil Kvyat of Red Bull. Local favorite Daniel Ricciardo of Red Bull and Force India's Nico Hulkenberg were third and fourth.
Heavy morning showers created a wet track, and intermittent showers through the session meant there were only two brief windows of a few minutes each in which drivers were able to use dry-weather tires.
Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel was not able to complete a lap.
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