Australian GP clockwatch

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Minute-by-minute action from the first Grand Prix of the season.

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All times GMT.

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Lap 58: Schumacher wins the Australian GP for the third year running, while Australia rejoices as Mika Salo spins while in ferocious pursuit of Mark Webber. The Toyota driver will not lose a place but Webber does get fifth. Juan Montoya second, Kimi Raikkonen third, Eddie Irvine fourth.

Lap 54: Webber, who has made one stop, still holding off Salo who has had two stops and wants the Minardi driver's fifth spot.

Lap 53: Juan Montoya still holding off Kimi Raikkonen for second place while Michael Schumacher strolls to yet another Grand Prix title. Eddie Irvine set to give Jaguar fourth.

Lap 52: Webber retaining fifth in a terrific battle between the Minardi and Salo's Toyota.

Lap 49: Sixth-placed Mika Salo is lapping faster than Mark Webber in fifth as the Australian faces a fight.

Lap 46: Michael Schumacher lapping at 1:30.505, with half a minute's lead over second-placed Juan Montoya.

Lap 45: Kimi Raikkonen maintains his provisional podium finish, which would be the first of his career, but he locks up on a couple of occasions to give the McLaren garage more problems to think about.

Lap 43: Juan Montoya is just over 26 seconds behind Michael Schumacher.

Lap 40: Michael Schumacher leads Juan Montoya, Kimi Raikkonen and Eddie Irvine then Mark Webber, Mika Salo who has passed Alex Yoong, then Pedro de la Rosa.

Lap 38: The world champion gets away from the pits in 10.5 seconds, Kimi Raikkonen in 10.6 then the McLaren driver almost immediately goes off the track briefly.

Lap 37: Juan Montoya has a pit stop, and the Ferrari team prepare for Michael Schumacher's first stop.

Lap 36: David Coulthard off for a fifth and final time as Mark Webber goes to the pits for the first time and has a 34.9 second pit stop, which is not too much of a disaster because there are few drivers behind him.

Lap 34: David Coulthard off for the fourth time with Michael Schumacher still in front of Juan Montoya, Kimi Raikkonen in third, Eddie Irvine in fourth, Mark Webber fifth and Alex Yoong sixth.

Lap 32: Michael Schumacher records the fastest lap yet at 1:28.628, getting close to the lap record.

Lap 30: Jacques Villeneuve continues the chaotic day at Melbourne by crashing out. Michael Schumacher 20 seconds ahead of Juan Montoya with just nine cars on the track.

Lap 28: Villenueve passes David Coulthard for sixth place as the Scotsman's problems continue.

Lap 27: Michael Schumacher still leads comfortably from Juan Montoya, Kimi Raikkonen, Eddie Irvine and Mark Webber.

Lap 26: Enrique Bernoldi caps a wretched day for Arrows as he is black-flagged.

Lap 23: Webber passes Coulthard to take fifth place, an incredible achievement for the Australian on home territory.

Lap 22: Coulthard goes off the track for the third time, with something clearly very wrong with his car. Irvine passes Coulthard for fourth place but the Irishman is lapping approximately five seconds slower than Michael Schumacher.

Lap 21: The positions behind Michael Schumacher remain unchanged as Irvine takes advantage of the early carnage in fifth and Webber enjoys a dream F1 debut in sixth.

Lap 20: Michael Schumacher puts in the fastest lap so far, the world champion now eight seconds in front.

Lap 19: Arrows' problems continue as Heinz-Harald Frentzen is black-flagged.

Lap 18: Montoya trails Michael Schumacher by 4.792 seconds, Raikkonen third, Coulthard fourth, Irvine fifth and Webber sixth.

Lap 17: The world champion puts in the fastest lap of the race as he leads Montoya by 2.218 seconds.

Lap 16: Michael Schumacher finally takes Montoya at turn two, the world champion benefitting from a tactical error by the Williams driver to take the lead for the first time. Raikkonen is still third, Coulthard fourth and Irvine fifth.

Lap 15: Michael Schumacher varies his tactics to try and get through but Montoya continues to hold the world champion off, by 0.167 seconds.

Lap 14: Montoya 0.145 seconds ahead of Michael Schumacher who is desperately trying to get past the Williams. Coulthard goes off again, leading to the suspicion that he may have brake problems.

Lap 13: Montoya leads from Michael Schumacher, Raikkonen, Coulthard who is back in the race, Irvine and Pedro de la Rosa. Mark Webber is seventh.

Lap 12: Coulthard goes off the track and then Montoya takes the lead by overtaking Michael Schumacher.

Lap 11: Behind the safety car Coulthard leads ahead of Schumacher, Montoya, Irvine, Raikkonen and Takuma Sato, who did not even qualify but has benefitted from the chaos.

Lap 10: Trulli's car still on the track as Coulthard leads Michael Schumacher and Montoya.

Lap eight: Coulthard is 6.6 seconds ahead of Trulli as the Renault driver makes a mistake and crashes into the wall at the exit of turn two. Safety car comes out with Trulli's car on the track. Enrique Bernoldi back out for Arrows.

Lap seven: Coulthard leads from Trulli and Michael Schumacher.

Lap six: Juan Montoya loses third place to Michael Schumacher with the safety car now gone and just 13 cars in the race. Jarno Trulli is second behind Coulthard.

Lap one: Safety car is out in front of those drivers still on the track, who are led by Coulthard.

Lap one: Drivers out include Nick Heidfeld, Jenson Button, Olivier Panis, Allan McNish, Felipe Massa, Giancarlo Fisichella, Rubens Barrichello and Ralf Schumacher, as well as the Arrows drivers. Kimi Raikkonen soon follows them out before rejoining the race, which Coulthard now leads.

Lap one: Huge accident at the first turn as Rubens Barrichello moves out in front of Ralf Schumacher, who had made a better start. Ralf has no chance of getting out of the way and carnage follows behind, with Button's car on fire.

Formation lap: Both Arrows cars are stuck on the grid as problems hit both Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Enrique Bernoldi, but race should start as both cars are removed in time.