Another round emerged in the intriguing Jamie Whincup-Scott McLaughlin battle but it was Holden’s Shane van Gisbergen who delivered the knockout blow in the V8 Supercars exhibition round opener at the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.

Van Gisbergen streaked away from the field to win the opening 10-lap sprint, finishing more than six seconds ahead of five-time champion Whincup and Volvo surprise packet Scott McLaughlin.

Van Gisbergen’s pace ensured the result was a no brainer after jumping pole sitter Michael Caruso of Nissan, who finished fourth.

However, the V8 faithful at the Formula One season opener were enthralled by Whincup and McLaughlin picking up where they left off from the recent Adelaide opening round as they battled for second.

The 20-year flying Kiwi McLaughlin won over the Adelaide faithful when he outgunned Whincup to celebrate Volvo’s first sighting in Australian touring cars in 28 years and claim a podium finish.

Dropping the f-bomb on live television while reflecting on his second placing ahead of Whincup also endeared himself to the local Adelaide petrol heads.

And McLaughlin and Whincup were at it again in Melbourne on Friday, going toe-to-toe for second as van Gisbergen left the field in his wake.

Whincup received a bad sportsmanship flag early after squeezing McLaughlin onto the grass on the inside of the main straight.

Eventually age overcame youth as Whincup emerged triumphant, finishing almost a second ahead of the excitable McLaughlin in the runner-up battle.

McLaughlin’s speed will only add to speculation that the new Volvos have an aerodynamic advantage.

Drivers questioned current V8 testing measures on social media after McLaughlin’s Adelaide success.

V8 Supercars organisers have since assembled a new technical group to investigate the matter and are expected to conduct a mid-season parity test.

The McLaughlin-Whincup battle may have again turned heads but van Gisbergen had his own story to tell.

In late 2012 the flying Kiwi sensationally retired at 23 after his former Ford team became Mercedes’ Erebus Motorsport.

Barely a month later van Gisbergen backtracked and signed with Holden’s Tekno Autosports earning the ire of the cashed up Erebus team.

He was then threatened with legal action that looked set to prevent him from racing.

Fast forward a year and van Gisbergen is still racing but admits nothing has changed off track in what he dubs a game of “legal tennis” between himself and the Erebus team.

Unconscionable Conduct proceedings were formally instigated in the Federal Court by Erebus in mid-2013.

The court is reportedly continuing to gather evidence from concerned parties.

The second of the non-championship Melbourne round’s four races starts at 1425 AEDT.