Kimi Raikkonen wins the Australian Grand Prix

Kimi Raikkonen has won the season-opening Australian Grand Prix after a tight race Down Under.

Lotus suggested during winter testing they had taken a step forward from last season, and they underlined that at Melbourne's Albert Park as the Finnish driver took the chequered flag for the 20th time in his F1 career.

The 2007 world champion was joined by two-times title winner Fernando Alonso and reigning three-times king Sebastian Vettel on the podium to at least dispel early claims the German and Red Bull would again run away with it this campaign.

On his debut for Mercedes, after ending a 13-year career with McLaren at the end of last term, Lewis Hamilton had to settle for fifth, with Force India's Paul Di Resta eighth, Jenson Button down in ninth in a struggling McLaren and Max Chilton, in his Marussia car, could only finish 17th.