With the tedium that was Sunday qualifying out of the way, we now look forward to the first race of the 2005 Formula One World Championship.

Thus far, the weekend has been dominated by the battle between Minardi boss Paul Stoddart and the FIA, an issue that has become almost as tiresome as the new qualifying format.

We're unsure what to expect today, as what we've seen thus far this weekend hasn't really allowed us to gauge a fair idea of how the various team, and drivers, compare. However, it's safe to say that the fact that so many of the real racers are towards the back of the grid, we can hopefully expect some overtaking.

The new rules, especially those relating to engines and tyres, are going to play their part in the outcome of today's race, but let's hope that they do what is intended, namely to spice up the sport, rather than allow the strategists to take control - more than they have already.

The smart money has to be on Giancarlo Fisichella, though it would be foolhardy to right off the McLarens, Alonso or even that man Schumacher.

No disrespect but nothing we've seen thus far this weekend, or indeed in testing, suggests that we'll see a WilliamsF1, Sauber, Toyota or even BAR take victory today.

Right now, the main thing is that the field gets through the first few corners without any mishaps, Melbourne has witnessed several major mishaps in the past, on one notable occasion with tragic results. There are several F1 'virgins' on the grid today, several of them ahead of highly experienced chargers.

It's overcast, but there's no real threat of rain. The air temperature is 19 degrees C, while the track temperature is 26 degrees.

Massa and Sato are starting from the back row of the grid, both having opted to change engines.

The cars head off on the warm up lap, the season is underway in earnest.

As the cars line up on the grid it appears that Kimi Raikkonen has a problem. He waves his hands, a yellow =flag is waved, and the field is sent out on another parade lap. As the field disappears, the Finn is pushed back into the pitlane, from where he will have to start.

The grid lines up once again.

The lights go out and Fisichella makes a great start, as do Webber and Coulthard. The entire field gets cleanly away.

It's heart in mouth time as the pack sorts itself out. At the end of the first lap it's Fisi from Trulli, Coulthard, Webber, Heidfeld and Klien. Michael Schumacher is up to fifteenth with Raikkonen right behind him. Villeneuve has dropped to ninth.

Raikkonen is all over Schumacher, who is clearly nursing his tyres.

At the end of lap two it's Fisi leading Trulli by 1.4s, with Coulthard a further 1.3s down the road.

On lap three, Fisichella posts a new fastest lap (1:29.164), as he extends his lead to 1.6s. Webber and Heidfeld are running nose to tail and closing in on Coulthard. Elsewhere, Michael and Raikkonen are shadowing Sato. Jenson Button is running in eleventh.