Melbourne - Mercedes opened its Formula One season by dominating practice for the Australian Grand Prix on Friday, with Nico Rosberg edging his world champion team-mate Lewis Hamilton in both sessions at Albert Park.
Rosberg, last year's championship runner-up, set the fastest lap of 1m27.697s in the second session on a glorious day at the Melbourne street circuit, topping Hamilton by one-tenth of a second.
Rosberg was also quickest in the first session, his best time of 1m29.557s also pipping Hamilton as the Constructors' champion carried its ominous form from winter testing onto the track.
Rosberg, last year's winner at Albert Park, said afterwards: "Definitely it's been a great day for us today in the cars, so we're very confident for tomorrow."
Four-times world champion Sebastian Vettel was third fastest on his debut for Ferrari in the second session, with team-mate Kimi Raikkonen fourth.
But with Vettel's fastest time more than seven-tenths of a second adrift of Rosberg, the opening day will strengthen belief that the first rounds of Formula One may be Mercedes versus the rest.
THREE INTO TWO DON’T GO
While the 'Silver Arrows' toasted a trouble-free afternoon, Sauber's legal problems overshadowed the paddock, with its assets under threat of seizure pending a contempt of court action brought by lawyers for dumped driver Giedo van der Garde.
After an Australian court ruling in favour of Van der Garde's bid to race for Sauber, the Swiss team had three drivers in its garage competing for two seats.
Neither of their cars came out in the first session but Sauber's nominated drivers Marcus Ericsson and Felipe Nasr both drove the second - only for Ericsson to crawl back to the pits with smoke billowing from the rear of his car midway through.
Williams driver Valtteri Bottas posted the fifth fastest lap, with Red Bull's new recruit Daniil Kvyat sixth in the second session.
Kvyat's team-mate Daniel Ricciardo, the only driver to win a race apart from the Mercedes drivers last year, was forced to sit out the second after an engine problem, a fate also shared by Williams driver Felipe Massa.
Toro Rosso's 17-year-old rookie Max Verstappen impressed with the sixth fastest time of the first session, before falling back to 14th in the second.
McLaren remained well off the pace, with former world champion Jenson Button 13th in the second practice and his team-mate Magnussen, replacement for the injured Fernando Alonso, having his car winched off the track after skidding into the gravel
Manor Marussia, having only recently emerged from administration, were unable to put either of its cars on the track.
RESULTS - FIRST SESSION
1 Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes – 1m29.557s
2 Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Mercedes - 1:29.586
3 Valtteri Bottas (Finland) Williams - 1:30.748
4 Carlos Sainz Jr (Spain) Toro Rosso - 1:31.014
5 Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Ferrari - 1:31.029
6 Max Verstappen (Netherlands) Toro Rosso - 1:31.067
7 Felipe Massa (Brazil) Williams - 1:31.188
8 Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Ferrari - 1:31.310
9 Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela) Lotus - 1:31.451
10 Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Red Bull - 1:31.570
11 Daniil Kvyat (Russia) Red Bull - 1:32.073
12 Sergio Perez (Mexico) Force India - 1:32.247
13 Nico Huelkenberg (Germany) Force India - 1:32.261
14 Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren - 1:34.542
15 Kevin Magnussen (Denmark) McLaren - 1:34.785
16 Romain Grosjean (France) Lotus - 2:17.782
17 Marcus Ericsson (Sweden) Sauber - No Time
18 Felipe Nasr (Brazil) Sauber - No Time
19 Will Stevens (Britain) Marussia - No Time
20 Roberto Merhi (Spain) Marussia - No Time
RESULTS - SECOND SESSION
1 Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes - 1:27.697
2 Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Mercedes - 1:27.797
3 Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Ferrari - 1:28.412
4 Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Ferrari - 1:28.842
5 Valtteri Bottas (Finland) Williams - 1:29.265
6 Daniil Kvyat (Russia) Red Bull - 1:30.016
7 Carlos Sainz Jr (Spain) Toro Rosso - 1:30.071
8 Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela) Lotus - 1:30.104
9 Romain Grosjean (France) Lotus - 1:30.205
10 Nico Hulkenberg (Germany) Force India - 1:30.473
11 Felipe Nasr (Brazil) Sauber - 1:30.755
12 Sergio Perez (Mexico) Force India - 1:30.980
13 Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren - 1:31.387
14 Max Verstappen (Netherlands) Toro Rosso - 1:31.395
15 Marcus Ericsson (Sweden) Sauber - 1:32.303
16 Kevin Magnussen (Denmark) McLaren - 1:33.289
17 Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Red Bull - No Time
18 Felipe Massa (Brazil) Williams - No Time
19 Will Stevens (Britain) Marussia - No Time
20 Roberto Merhi (Spain) Marussia - No Time
Reuters