Drivers dive into the pits after the appearance of the safety car. Daniel Ricciardo has swapped to softs, while a new front wing is popped on Sebastian Vettel's Ferrari.

There's debris on the track and safety car is deployed.

Tom Clarkson
BBC Radio 5 live commentator

"Hamilton has got a big ask ahead of him - we can forget about podiums, it's about points now."

Mark Gallagher
BBC Radio 5 live Formula 1 analyst

"It's not the first time this weekend we've seen a left rear tyre come off the car. A fast pit stop for Ricciardo but devastating for his chances to win this race."

Despite losing his position to Daniel Ricciardo, Nico Rosberg is keeping the Red Bull driver honest. 

Three laps he spies the chance for a move and sweeps past to re-take the lead. Just as he does so, Ricciardo suffers a dramatic puncture on his left rear, rubber flying up in the air!

Meanwhile, Daniil Kvyat took full advantage of all the chaos at the start to sneak up to third. 

Lewis Hamilton, Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean all pit. 

Sebastian Vettel, whose Ferrari was damaged in that collision with his team-mate, is ploughing on. "I had the Red Bull coming up on the inside like a madman," he says. "I hit Kimi."

Up top, Daniel Ricciardo leads from Nico Rosberg.

Mark Gallagher
BBC Radio 5 live Formula 1 analyst

"A disappointing start and first lap from both Mercedes and the Ferraris."

Dramatic start! There was contact between the two Ferraries as well at the first corner while Felipe Nasr is reporting a puncture on his Williams. Lewis Hamilton has somehow damaged his Mercedes as well and its a terrible start for the world champion.

LIGHTS OUT!

Daniel Ricciardo takes Nico Rosberg at the first corner and the Red Bull is into the lead!

Lewis Hamilton is in the unfamiliar position of being the last guy to line up. 

Here we go...

Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer

"Three stops is the most likely strategy and even if everyone sticks that, there is plenty of room for strategic variation, with a split between starting on the soft or super-soft. 

"The tyres are degrading quickly on the tough track surface and the high mandatory minimum tyre pressures - about which teams and drivers are as unhappy this weekend as at any time since they were imposed following the failures in Spa last year - certainly don’t ease that situation. 

"As in Bahrain two weeks ago, this is likely to mean a lot of racing between cars on very differing tyre performance. But is this good.“For the teams and the drivers for sure is not,” Williams driver Felipe Massa said. “But maybe for the people to see a lot of overtaking, to see a lot of people struggling on tyres – yes. But it is fake. It is not really how it needs to be. For sure, you will see a lot of overtaking in the race because of that. But not really a proper overtake: easy overtakes."

Image source, _

Could Nico Rosberg be set to join Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso as the only multiple winners of the Chinese Grand Prix?

We'll soon find out...

The drivers head off on their formation lap. Lewis Hamilton has softs on, like those around him. All of the top 10 are on super softs apart from polesitter Nico Rosberg, who has the yellow-walled softs on.

Tom Clarkson
BBC Radio 5 live commentator

I think we're going to see Lewis Hamilton be very aggressive but with aggression he's also got to very careful - he has to get through the first lap unscathed.

Image source, _

Plenty of opportunities to overtake on this circuit, which will suit Lewis Hamilton down to a tee.

Melissa Brown: The start will be a Mercedes sandwich with Rosberg in front and Hamilton at the back #SSf1, external#ChineseGP, external

Rachel T: If anyone can, Lewis Hamilton can.

Joanna Harran: Fingers crossed for a trouble free race for Fernando and Jenson.

Nick Mathieson: I think we're about to witness a true racing champion - Lewis Hamilton.

Here go then. Just a few minutes until lights out. 

If Lewis Hamilton nails his start, something he hasn't done so far this season, we could be in for one heck of a race.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has spoken to BBC Radio 5 live's Tom Clarkson and says Daniel Ricciardo's qualifying lap, which sees him start second, was "right up there with his very best".

He admits: "It's totally unexpected to be starting P2 on the grid in the dry."

Horner, when asked about our vote regarding where Lewis Hamilton will finish, thinks the Briton will climb onto the podium.

Tom O'Reilly: Best comeback drive? Surely @JensonButton, external, Canada 2011. Crazy weather, and worked his way from last to first place. Sublime.

Kobus Nell: Best comeback? Easy. Barrichello at Silverstone. That was amazing. 

Sparky: Best come back drive was Gerhard Berger for Ferrari at the original Hockenheim.