Schumacher victorious in Melbourne mayhem

World champion Michael Schumacher won an extraordinary Australian Grand Prix on Sunday as the Formula One season began with a massive pile-up on the first corner and just a handful of finishers.

In a race that resembled a demolition derby more than the pinnacle of motor racing, the Ferrari driver from Germany emerged triumphant once again to claim a 54th career win and his third straight victory in Australia.

After cruising to victory with only eight of the 22 starters still on the circuit, Schumacher said he thought the race should have been re-started after a first lap crash between his team mate Rubens Barrichello and his younger brother, Ralf.

Ralf took off into the air after colliding with the back of Barrichello's Ferrari and eight cars were forced out of the race as they collided trying to avoid the accident.

"From my point of view it should have been red-flagged and the race started again," said Schumacher, going for his fifth world title this year.

"There is a certain rule and they (race officials) followed the rule, but maybe you can argue the rule should be changed."

Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya was second in a Williams with Finland's Kimi Raikkonen third in his McLaren debut for the first podium of his career. But there were unexpected names further down the point scorers.

Raikkonen was followed by Jaguar's Eddie Irvine, who had all but written off his car's chances before the race, with Minardi's Australian rookie Mark Webber fifth after holding off a thrilling late challenge from Finland's Mika Salo.

Salo still scored a point for Toyota on their grand prix debut. Webber, punching the air in jubilation, became the 51st driver to score on his Formula One debut and gave Minardi their first point since 1999.

"I feel like I've won the race, it's fantastic for the team," Webber said.

Webber had started 18th on the grid and Irvine 19th. Behind them they left motor racing mayhem, summed up by the sight of Webber overtaking David Coulthard's McLaren, struggling with gearbox problems, with half the race to run.

After 29 of the 58 laps there were only eight cars remaining in the race and by the checkered flag only the front three remained on the same lap.

CARNAGE

The first corner carnage was triggered in the blink of an eye with the starting lights barely extinguished.

Brazilian Barrichello, starting on pole, was one of the unlucky ones after Ralf Schumacher's Williams ploughed into the rear of his Ferrari and was launched into the air before plunging into the tyre barriers.

Ralf, who was also involved in a crash last year that killed a Melbourne marshal, had weaved past his older brother Michael at the start before running out of space as Barrichello's car slowed trying to enter the first corner ahead.

"It felt frightening, I can tell you," said Ralf. "Going airborne in an aircraft is nicer than in any Formula One car.

"Rubens closed the door on me once, then he did it twice."

Italian Giancarlo Fisichella in the Jordan, Brazilian Felipe Massa and Nick Heidfeld in the Saubers, Renault's Jenson Button, BAR's Olivier Panis and British debutant Allan McNish for Toyota all packed up there and then.

Michael Schumacher, starting second on the grid, had a good view of the crash and stayed well clear.

"I just saw cars flying everywhere and I was afraid to turn into the first corner so I just went straight ahead onto the grass which was a good decision I think," Schumacher said.

"I was very frightened...you don't like to see that.

"I was very concerned so I radioed the pits and they told me everything was okay (with the drivers)."

With the Arrows of German Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Enrique Bernoldi both failing to start on the formation lap, the accident stripped the race of nearly half the field.

With the safety car leading Coulthard around for four laps, the decision to continue sparked anger among some teams.

"It was a silly accident but the decision not to stop the race by the FIA is absolutely absurd," said Jordan's Gary Anderson.

But some teams said officials were right to continue. Irvine said: "In Grand Prix you get one crack at it and if you screw up, you screw up."

The mayhem did not stop there, with Renault's Italian Jarno Trulli bringing the safety car out again when he spun and crashed into the wall while in second place and working overtime to keep Michael Schumacher behind him.

When the safety car went back in, the battle was on with Schumacher and Montoya fighting for the lead.

Montoya gained the early advantage in the cut and thrust but once Schumacher got past, with a clever move on a corner, it was game over with last year's Ferrari pulling away to win by 18.6 seconds.