Good morning and welcome to ESPNF1's coverage of first practice for the Belgian Grand Prix. After the mid-season break, the sights, sounds and smells of Formula One returns in the Ardennes forest at the iconic Spa-Francorchamps circuit.

It feels like a long time since we last saw a wheel turned on track, but just to refresh your memory: Jenson Button won last time out at the Hungaroring, beating Sebastian Vettel in changeable conditions as Lewis Hamilton saw his chances of victory slip away thanks to a poor tyre strategy and a spin. Hamilton was on form the week before in Germany though, and those back-to-back wins for McLaren have raised hopes of a late championship charge.

The big news from this week, however, has been Renault's treatment of Nick Heidfeld. He's been replaced by Bruno Senna for the next two races, with "legal issues" preventing any further confirmation. What do you think of the change? Is it fair? Let us know using the link above, or you can get in touch via Twitter @ESPNF1_live.

McLaren (TheFifthDriver) on Twitter: "Good morning from a dry/wet/sunny/cloudy/hot/cold/damp/warm/grey #Spa-Francorchamps! Weather as normal..."

ESPNF1's Laurence Edmondson reports that there's currently on and off drizzle around the circuit as he heads out to Eau Rouge. Could be a bit of a stop-start session.

Another driver change to tell you about before we get going: Karun Chandhok is in the Lotus in place of Heikki Kovalainen. Nico Hulkenberg is not in the Force India until FP2 we understand.

And we have cars on the track! The sound of V8's fill the air once again. Kamui Kobayashi is first out on track.

Michael Schumacher celebrates 20 years in Formula One this weekend, and he has a special gold helmet to mark the occasion. It means he looks very similar to Nico Rosberg at speed, which isn't ideal!

Schumacher and Rosberg both stay out after their first laps and set times, Schumacher a 1:55.007 and Rosberg a 1:57.926

Schumacher drifts his car through turn eight on his way to improving to a 1:54.355

Everyone has completed installation laps so far, but it's just started to rain...

The men caught out on track in the rain are Sutil, Trulli, Perez and Di Resta

It's really raining heavily now, and Sutil is creeping his way around the circuit on slicks. Replays show Trulli cutting across the grass.

The weather radar shows that this rain will continue to fall steadily for the next 15 minutes.

Predictably, everyone has returned to the pit lane as the rain falls.

Ferrari (InsideFerrari) on Twitter: "The job will be more difficult here because of the very changeable weather conditions, very typical of Spa."

So only the two Mercedes have set times so far, Schumacher with a 1:54.355, and Rosberg with a 1:54.829.

Torretial rain now. If this is a race it would have been red flagged immediately.

And just like that, it's reduced to a light drizzle and the sun breaks through. That literally changed inside 30 seconds. That's why Spa is such a challenge.

And it's hammering down once again somewhere else on the circuit. The track is 7.004km long, so you can have big differences in the weather in different areas.

Lewis Hamilton's car is getting wet tyres fitted, but I doubt we'll see anyone venturing out anytime soon.

So, while all is quiet with 20 minutes of the session gone, why don't you get in touch? Go on, email or Twitter, we want to hear from you.

Laurence (EdmondsonESPNF1) at Spa on Twitter: "It's now officially a deluge. I'm seeking refuge in the paddock toilet... On the plus side the sun is also trying to break through. Keep your eyes open for a rainbow - could be the most excitement we get"

rib_khalifa on Twitter gives his opinion on Bruno Senna's promotion at Renault: "I think it's because Nick's performance has been very poor."

Who agrees?

Rivers of water running across the hairpin at La Source.

Hiteshwar emails in to ask: "Any surprises expected like Spa 2009.....except for the weather gods what can happen which is not expected?"

Hiteshwar is referring to Giancarlo Fisichella's pole position for Force India. Well I can't say we can expect such a surprise this year, but Force India should be strong. The biggest surprise could be a non-Red Bull pole, which of course we haven't yet had this year! My money is on Lewis Hamilton to break that dominance.

Pirelli (Pirelli_Media) on Twitter: "Gap between soft and medium P Zero tyres here should be about 1.2 seconds per lap. In dry conditions, that is..."

Half an hour gone, and only two timed laps set. The Mercedes drivers have both completed four laps, Force India three each, Massa, Kobayashi, Trulli and Perez two, and everyone else one.

Mike emails in to say: "I agree with rib_khalifa, heidfeld should be head and shoulders above petrov. But he's only 2 point ahead of him.

Let's hope that Bruno can keep up with petrov, because he has already 11 races under his belt"

Hiteshwar also asks: "Why is it that saubers are struggling on a particular tyre compound and doing great on the others?"

It's more than it is very kind to its tyres, which means in warm conditions they last longer, but in cold conditions it struggles to get heat in to the rubber.

We have a car out on track! Sebastian Vettel has ventured out on wet tyres.

Red Bull - like every team - has a special aerodynamic package on the car, with a slim rear wing to reduce drag.

I said Vettel was out on wet tyres, team radio corrects me: he's actually on intermediates. Brave man.

Sensibly, Vettel returns to the pits. The track is soaking wet and intermediates doesn't seem like the ideal tyre for these conditions.

Anything you can do... Lewis Hamilton heads out on intermediates too.

HRT (HRTF1Team) on Twitter: "The rain is stopping so it's time to dry the car and set the wet tyres before getting back out on the track"

Alguersuari joins Hamilton on track, who then pits after having a bit of a moment approaching Blanchimont.

Jenson Button tests the temperature of Hamilton's tyres as it is wheeled back in to the garage. He looks very relaxed as he stands around sipping tea.

Alguersuari was on full wets but he too pits. Sutil is now the only man on track as the sun comes out.

Sutil is also on full wets, and he's told to pit as soon as he feels the tyres go off. He'll probably stay out for a few laps, but the track is on the cusp between the two types of wet tyre.

Rob on email says: "Well all know what Heidfeld is like. He is an average driver that will never win a race. Renault gain nothing by keeping him on except a few points here and there so they have very little to lose by giving Senna a try. If he gets close to Petrov in two races, then it proves he has got pace. If he doesn't do well, then he will have lost his chance to prove himself but at least a good chance against a reasonably competitive teammate in a reasonable package. I wish him well and hope it goes Ok for him but I don't expect miracles. For Senna's sake, lets hope Boullier doesn't either."

Cesar asks: "What are the next season's driver change speculations? Is Kubica returning to Renault? If so, who's seat would he cover?"

Well Cesar, the latest speculation is that Kubica's recovery is not going positively enough for a return next year, and so there will be a seat available at Renault which would most probably be taken by Romain Grosjean. Williams are also yet to confirm Rubens Barrichello and have half an eye on Grosjean too as it will have Renault engines in its car. If Kubica does return, he will be alongside Petrov as it stands.

Alonso, Buemi and Senna join Sutil on track. Sutil's best lap is a 2:16.282, 22 seconds off the pace. That's how wet it is.

Alonso is on intermediate tyres, and he pits.

EdmondsonESPNF1 at Spa: "If it's dry enough for Vettel and Hamilton I suppose it's dry enough for me. Heading back out..."

Senna on full wets in the Renault, as Sutil improves to a 2:14.236

Senna starts a flying lap, and is wrestling the car through Pouhon.

Buemi sets a time, a 2:13.982 just 0.2s quicker than Sutil.

Senna's first effort is a 2:17.310

Replays show that Buemi on inters ran wide at the final chicane, while Schumacher also went off at Pouhon, but the tarmac run-offs meant he was fine to continue

Buemi makes the chicane this time and improves to a 2:13.206. His team-mate Alguersuari has gone quicker with a 2:12.502

D'Ambrosio is out on intermediates, as is Massa. Glock, Kobayashi, Perez, Senna, Buemi and Alguersuari the others on track

Senna improves to a 2:14.876, while Perez runs wide at the final chicane and dives in to the pits.

Massa is now on full wets, but he pits.

The quickest wet time is Alguersuari on a 2:11.829

Oh dear. Bruno Senna has gone and put his Renault in to the wall. He beats his fist against the steering wheel. He lost the rear end going in to turn nine, where there is minimal run off, and has damaged the rear wing and left rear suspension.

Ironically Senna had just been told to pit - he was on full wets and the track is definitely good for intermediates now. It was a relatively small spin but there's no space to run wide on the outside of the track.

Webber out now for Red Bull, joined by Alonso. Both on inters.

Still under yellow flags as the marshalls work to remove Senna's car.

Despite the yellows, Webber sets the fastest wet time with a 2:10.799. That shows how the track is improving, and the times should continue to drop as no rain is expected in the next 30 minutes.

A clear track again, and Vettel heads out.

Renault (OfficialLRGP) on Twitter: "No sooner does the instruction go out to pit than Bruno gets caught out and slide backwards into the barriers. Oops"

The sun is out once again, drying the track although it's only 23C air temperature. Webber improves to a 2:09.852. Jenson Button joins the circuit as Senna talks to Eric Boullier on the pit wall

Vettel is told that he is using his DRS 100m too early, which is likely to be after Eau Rouge on to the Kemmel straight where the DRS zone is positioned for the race.

Vettel's gone fourth quickest, half a second slower than Webber. Obviously lap times are fairly irrelevant if we get a dry race, but it's good to see who's getting on top of conditions the quickest.

The only men yet to set a lap time are Maldonado, Button, Massa and Hamilton. Button on a lap as I type and quick in sector one.

Button goes third quickest with a 2:09.682.

Replays show Perez passing Alonso on the run towards Blanchimont and receiving a hand gesture from the Spaniard. Not sure he did a lot wrong there.

Di Resta has gone off at the same place as Senna, sliding sideways in to the tyre wall.

The session has been red flagged. It could be that there is no crane available to remove the car as it is still busy with Senna's car.

A sensible decision, as it's a relatively slow speed spin that both drivers have had, but have gone in to the tyres within 20 yards of each other and there will be marshalls on the track to recover the Force India.

Force India on Twitter: "Paul taps the barrier at turn 9. Red flags out while they recover the car."

The clock doesn't stop in practice despite the red flag, so we have just under 12 minutes to go.

Quite an odd scene as the Force India is craned on to the back of a truck and a marshall perches himself on the nose of the car to balance it.

The track is now clear as di Resta's car is taken away on the back of a truck. It doesn't apear to be damaged really.

Session will restart at 11:23 local time, so with seven minutes of the session left to go.

The track is open again, and Barrichello is first out, followed by Massa. Barrichello pulls off to the side to do a practice start first

A busy track with 13 cars out on the circuit.

Only Maldonado, Massa and Hamilton yet to set a time. All are on track.

There's a slightly dry line appearing around the track now, and lap times should continue to fall. Hamilton is quick in the first sector.

Only Petrov not on track of the cars that can be out there - Renault are working on his car in the garage.

Massa goes third quickest with a 2:06.830, Barrichello fourth.

Hamilton goes third quickest, a 2:04.301 puts him within 10 seconds of Schumacher's quickest time in the dry.

Jarno Trulli spins but continues, while it starts to drizzle with rain again.

The chequered flag is out, with a lot of drivers on laps. Button improves to a 2:02.740 and Vettel fourth on a 2:03.752

Rubens Barrichello is one of the last men over the line and goes eighth quickest.

So Schumacher tops the timesheets from Rosberg with the only two dry laps. Button is quickest of the wet laps with a 2:02.740, a second quicker than Vettel, with Hamilton a further 0.6s behind.

As always, the Spa weather made that a difficult session for the teams, with Senna and di Resta finding out the hard way. They should both be able to make up for lost time in the second session though, which gets underway in two and a half hours. Thanks for all your comments, join us again for FP2.