A quick check of the top 10 after that dramatic start.

Nico Rosberg leads ahead of Lewis Hamilton and then Kimi Raikkonen, Sergio Perez, Nico Hulkenberg, Daniel Ricciardo, Felipe Massa, Carlos Sainz, Daniil Kvyat and Valtteri Bottas.

Sebastian Vettel, meanwhile, is up from 15th to 12th. The hunt begins.

David Coulthard
BBC F1 co-commentator

"You can see the nervousness in all the drivers. A lot of weaving around and winners and losers - Vettel up to 12th already."

There was contact between Pastor Maldonado and Fernando Alonso and its race over for Pastor Maldonado. He's out, Alonso has a damaged front wing and is straight back to the pits.

Image source, bbc

LIGHTS OUT!!

Brilliant start by Nico Rosberg and he is away! Lewis Hamilton is slow off the line and is under pressure from Kimi Raikkonen. Looks to be contact at the back too.

Everyone is in position. Almost time...

The top 10 stream away with supersoft tyres on. Sebastian Vettel, down in 15th, has softs bolted on.

Nico Rosberg is sat in the cockpit, a look of steely determination on his face. Will he set the tone for 2016 with a big win? 

Everyone is away now for the formation lap. It's go time.

Former Red Bull driver Mark Webber on BBC F1: "I really want to see a battle on track - I don't want to see undercuts or overcuts. Maybe a car will end up in the fence - win or bin."

1) Rosberg 2) Hamilton 3) Raikkonen 4) Perez 5) Ricciardo 6) Bottas 7) Hulkenberg 8) Massa 9) Kvyat 10) Sainz

11) Verstappen 12) Button 13) Maldonado 14) Nasr 15) Vettel 16) Alonso 17) Ericsson 18) Grosjean 19) Stevens 

Merhi starting from the pitlane.

This is what Pirelli reckon, external will be the most likely strategy today: "Most drivers are expected to stop twice during the 55 laps of Abu Dhabi. 

"The mostly likely strategy is: start on supersoft, change to soft on laps 10 and 32. A three-stopper is theoretically the quickest option (start on supersoft, then change to soft on laps seven, 23 and 39) but this depends on having a car that is quick enough to overtake and gain track position, in case of traffic."  

And THAT is a beautiful sunset. This is a twilight race remember. Let those sparks fly.

Now THAT is a fly by.

Just over 10 minutes to go until the final race of the season, then there's no more F1 for the rest of the year.

Sad face time.

Image source, Getty Images

Last chance for you to check out some fine Abu Dhabi Grand Prix stats and facts and wow your mates down the pub. See them here.

One for the Alan Partridge fans out there, David Coulthard has his "Dan!" moment, shouting Nico Rosberg's name a few times. No dice.