Multimillion-dollar crash wipes out nearly half the field in the opening race of the Tasmania SuperSprint on Saturday.

Japanese giant Nissan is looking to decide within months whether to continue in Supercars beyond next year with an all-new racer.

Mercedes are seeing red after losing out to Ferrari in the Formula One season- opener in Australia but the challenge from their resurgent rivals has had a galvanising effect on the champions, says Lewis Hamilton.

Rampant speculation that the Ford teams in Supercars will race Mustangs next year has almost certainly ruined any chance of a switch from the Falcon until 2019 at the earliest.

Italian investigators said on Tuesday they had foiled a plot to steal the remains of legendary Formula One racing pioneer Enzo Ferrari and demand a ransom.

Formula 1's new owner is open to restoring an earlier start to the season in Melbourne to avoid the Australian Grand Prix clashing with the opening weekend of the AFL - and new owner Liberty Media has ruled out taking the event to Sydney every second year.

• ANALYSIS

Over-complicated technology has turned what should be thrilling wheel-to-wheel combat into boring start-to-finish processions.

A horror weekend for Daniel Ricciardo finished with the Red Bull star feeling "like crap" for his home fans, and with Sebastian Vettel powering to an imperious victory at the Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park.

Disappointment in Melbourne is nothing new for Daniel Ricciardo; what should have been the Red Bull racer's finest hour, a second place on his debut for the team at the Australian Grand Prix in 2014, turned to dust when his first career podium was taken away, his car disqualified for a breach of the technical regulations.

There's always next year.

• Live

Track comprehensive live coverage of the F1 Melbourne Australian Grand Prix 2017: Live.

Australian Daniel Ricciardo's hopes of scoring a maiden Australian Grand Prix win were dashed before the race even got under way when his Red Bull Racer ground to a halt on the formation lap of the Albert Park circuit.

Briton Lewis Hamilton scored his fourth successive pole position at Melbourne's Albert Park lakeside circuit when he qualified his Mercedes fastest of the 20 strong field for Sunday's Formula One season opening Australian Grand Prix.

An uncustomary crash leaves Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo on the back foot.

Melbourne's chiropractors must salivate when yoga and golf are replaced by petrol and burning rubber at Albert Park on grand prix weekend.

Mercedes ace Lewis Hamilton has taken pole position for the Australian grand prix as local hope Daniel Ricciardo crashed in qualifying.

Emergency Mercedes recruit Valterri Bottas knows he has been given the Formula 1 chance of a lifetime and he is determined to defy the doubters.

The Formula One driver has returned in career-best shape.

Money talks, as the saying goes – and in no sport does money talk loudest than in Formula One.