McLaren's Lewis Hamilton stayed out of trouble to win his fifth Formula One grand prix in 18 starts [AFP]

Hamilton, last year's rookie sensation, finished 5.4 seconds ahead of Germany's Nick Heidfeld in a BMW Sauber, with fellow German Nico Rosberg celebrating the first podium of his Formula One career by coming third for Williams-Toyota.

Fernando Alonso, double world champion, finished fourth for Renault, while Heikki Kovalainen, Hamilton's new Finnish team mate, was fifth.

Neither Ferrari reached the chequered flag, with Kimi Raikkonen, defending champion, retiring five laps from the end and teammate Felipe Massa also pulling out after several collisions.

The Finn still scored a point however after Honda's Rubens Barrichello, who had finished sixth, was disqualified for exiting the pit lane when the lights were still red.

"It's quite different to my first win in Montreal, just because that was really not expected.

"This win perhaps feels better than any because I feel I've improved in many areas," added the 23-year-old Briton who started from pole position.

"I wouldn't say it's the perfect win... but I think in terms of managing my tyres, controlling my pace and confidence and being comfortable in the car, it's the best race I've had so far."

Saftey car deployed three times

With traction control and electronic driver aids now banned, the safety car was deployed three times, but Hamilton kept his cool to record his fifth win in just 18 starts.

Barrichello's exclusion lifted Kazuki Nakajima to sixth place for Williams, despite the Japanese tangling with Red Bull's Mark Webber at the start and again with the BMW Sauber of Poland's Robert Kubica nine laps from the end.

Stewards gave the rookie a 10-place penalty on the starting grid for the Malaysian Grand Prix next weekend. 

David Coulthard's Red Bull car will need repairs after colliding with Felipe Massa's Ferrari [AFP]

Four-time Champ Car champion Sebastien Bourdais, the first Frenchman to start a season since 2004, joined the elite group of drivers to score on debut with eighth place despite failing to reach the finish in his Toro Rosso.

First corner carnage brought out the safety car on the opening lap and led to the retirement of five drivers including Red Bull's Mark Webber, Australia's only participant.

Honda's Jenson Button, one of the immediate casualties after a coming together with fellow-Briton Antony Davidson and Germany's Sebastian Vettel on the first corner, said it had been "mayhem everywhere".

"Somebody came on the right hand side of my car like a kamikaze and pushed me out," added Giancarlo Fisichella, Force India's Italian drvier.

Massa, who started in fourth place, was forced to pit for a new front wing after spinning into the barriers on the first turn, and the safety car was deployed for a second time just before the halfway point when Massa and Red Bull's David Coulthard collided at the end of the main straight.

Germany's Timo Glock brought out the safety car for the third time when he hit a kerb and flew into the air before plunging into the barriers with debris littering the track.

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