Lotus driver Kimi Raikkonen of Finland won the Formula One season-opening Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on Sunday.

The 33-year-old was more than 12 seconds ahead of Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso while defending world champion Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull finished third.

Former world champion Raikkonen also won the Australian Grand Prix in 2007.

Australia’s Mark Webber finished sixth after a horror start.

The hometown favourite was second on the grid behind pole sitter Vettel but drifted back to seventh by the end of the first of the race’s 58 laps after being swamped at the start.

Fellow Australian Daniel Ricciardo of Toro Rosso failed to finish, lasting just 42 laps.