Welcome to our LIVE coverage of the opening Grand Prix of the season in Melbourne.

Lewis Hamiton's pit crew tell him over the radio that he's "doing a great job" and that his "pace is just what you need". He's 10.5 seconds behind Raikkonen - so it seems likely Mercedes are trying a two-stop strategy as well.

The leaders still stuck behind Sutil - the only reason he's not being blue flagged is because he is yet to stop, incidentally. He's still going strong - maybe Force India have hit upon some miraculous strategy?

Latest weather reports suggest that this will be a dry race now - all the teams quickly making sure they're set up for dry tyres.

Vettel has run into Adrian Sutil, and can't get past the Force India back marker - Sutil is actually keeping the world champion at bay quite easily, and the two Ferraris and Kimi Raikkonen are all closing right up on him in a line.

Nico Rosberg comes into the pits now - and almost takes out Jenson Button as he emerges from the pits. Mark Webber is right behing them too, and we're looking at a three-way battle here for ninth place for the next few laps.

Mercedes have their mechanics out to change tyres this time round - and Lewis Hamilton comes in for tyrres. He emerges down in eighth place, showing just how much time he lost after that decent start.

It seems that Hamilton and Rosberg are definitely trying to run this race with one stop fewer - Hamilton just been told over the radio that his tyres are good, his pace is good, and he's free and clear.

Massa and Alonso are both struggling their way through traffic, but Vettel has found some clear air after scything past Sergio Perez. That's Vettel up to fourth, with the three men ahead of him yet to pit.

Hamilton is almost four seconds ahead of team-mate Rosberg, but it's a matter of time before he too must come in for tyres.

Pastor Maldonado makes a big blunder and is off onto the turf - a big help to Kimi Raikkonen, who emerged from the pits with Maldonando between him and Alonso.

Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen both come into the pits now as well - Lewis Hamilton becomes the race leader.

Felipe Massa comes in for tyres - an incredible stop, so quick it looks like he merely bounced up and down before roaring away.

Kimi Raikkonen is storming at the moment - his tyres seem to be lasting much better than anyone else's, and he's a second a quicker on that last lap than Alonso. Almost within range to make a move...

Our leader Vettel comes into the pits - Felipe Massa is the new leader of the race.

Massa has trimmed that gap on Vettel to 0.83, and he's also opened up some space on Alonso behind him. Raikkonen a further two seconds back, with Hamilton and the rest of the field not even in sight - there are two races already.

Are Red Bull struggling with tyres already? Mark Webber has come into the pits for a new set of boots.

Vettel's gap has been trimmed in the last lap - it's not the German slowing, it's Massa picking up the pace and reeling him in.

Jenson Button is in 9th place in the troubled new McLaren - but he's had to stop already, after just four laps, thanks to the raggedy tyres he was starting on.

Vettel is off and away already, a good three seconds clear - with the Ferraris about the same amount clear of Raikkonen in fourth. Hamilton fifth, Nico Rosberg sixth, and Mark Webber down in a terrible seventh.

Hamilton simply isn't as quick as Raikkonen on the straights - and this time he gets overtaken! That Lotus is simply blistering in a straight line.

They come around the first lap and Hamilton is literally wheel to wheel with Raikkonen - slight contact between their tyres, but Hamilton stays ahead.