Kimi Raikkonen has put up a strong indication of the battle for the championship this season with the quickest time in the first practice for the Australian Grand Prix. -- PHOTO: REUTERS

Under clear skies and in bright sunshine, the Finn laid down a marker for Sunday's race with a best lap time of one minute, 26.461 seconds.

Raikkonen won in Melbourne last year on his Ferrari debut and is chasing a third successive victory after ending 2007 on a high with triumphs in China and Brazil taking him to the championship.

As expected, Ferrari and McLaren dominated the battle at the top of the timesheets just as they had last year when they won every race between them.

McLaren's Lewis Hamilton, a sensational rookie last year before losing out to Raikkonen by a single point in Brazil, was top until the Ferrari driver bettered his time by 0.487 with two minutes remaining.

Ferrari's Brazilian Felipe Massa was third fastest with McLaren's new Finnish signing Heikki Kovalainen filling the fourth spot.

Australian Mark Webber was the best of the rest for Red Bull, ahead of Spain's double world champion Fernando Alonso who has returned to Renault after a bitter and tumultuous year alongside Hamilton at McLaren.

Jostling
The top 10 highlighted the fierce fight in midfield, with five teams jostling for position behind Ferrari and McLaren.

Poland's Robert Kubica was seventh fastest for BMW, ahead of Toyota's German rookie Timo Glock and compatriot Sebastian Vettel in a Toro Rosso.

Kubica's German team mate Nick Heidfeld had a less encouraging morning, pulling over and parking on the grass with 25 minutes to go after being the first driver out of the pitlane.

Briton Jenson Button raised Honda's morale after a dismal 2007 season in which they scored just six points with the 11th fastest lap.

Italian Giancarlo Fisichella, a winner in Australia with Renault in 2005, showed Force India were likely to be more serious contenders than predecessors Spyker with 12th place.

But Toyota-powered Williams, whose pre-season testing times have looked impressive, made a troubled start with Germany's Nico Rosberg failing to register a timed lap.

Japanese team mate Kazuki Nakajima completed just three laps and had the slowest time.

The session was halted for four minutes after Brazilian rookie Nelson Piquet junior spun and stalled on the track with 22 minutes remaining. -- REUTERS