Ferrari get off to a flier with a one-two in season curtain raiser

Fernando Alonso got off to a winning start in his first race for his new team as he led home a Ferrari one-two in the Bahrain Grand Prix at Sakhir.

Starting from third place on the grid, the Spaniard passed team-mate Felipe Massa at the second corner, and took the lead on lap 34 from the Red Bull of Sebastian Vettel which was suffering from exhaust trouble.

Alonso drove a succession of fastest laps to take the chequered flag, with Massa holding off Lewis Hamilton for second spot.

Vettel nursed his car home in fourth, just ahead of Nico Rosberg in the Mercedes.

Michael Schumacher finished a creditable sixth on his return to the sport, with Jenson Button, Mark Webber, Vitantonio Liuzzi and Rubens Barrichello completing the top 10 positions.

Debutant Karun Chandhok was forced to retire after just one lap as none of the BMW Sauber, Hispania or Virgin teams were able to muster a single classified finisher between them.