MOTOR SPORT/Grand Prix of Bahrain Motor Sport Formula One Championship: As season openers go, it couldn't have been better. A clash of old versus new, a stealthy hint of better things to come from a battle-hardened contender and the arrival of a potentially thrilling talent whose pedigree is redolent of the golden age of the sport.

The dusty, desert outpost of Bahrain might not have been everyone's choice of venue for an opening round but the new venue's commitment to F1 is likely to go from strength to strength on the back of a race that provided enough material to guarantee 2006 might be a season to be savoured.

First, on Saturday, the old master, Michael Schumacher proved a point by nudging Ferrari back to the positions that, prior to 2005, they dominated with such ease. Notching his 65th career pole, Schumacher edged towards the only record that doesn't have his name stamped beside it.

He was joined on the front row of the grid by young Brazilian team-mate Felipe Massa, a driver often criticised for being wayward, overly aggressive and lacking in race craft.

Behind them though the threats were numerous. Jenson Button followed his recent V8 lap record at Barcelona by carrying Honda's impressive pace through to Bahrain to claim third while Alonso confirmed Renault's pre-season dominance by shadowing the 37-year-old Schumacher to within three tenths of a second.

Lurking behind was McLaren's Juan Pablo Montoya. The Mercedes powered team had been hampered through the off season with technical difficulties and they bit again in qualifying as Montoya's team-mate Kimi Raikkonen's suspension collapsed causing a massive spin. The accident dumped the unfortunate Raikkonen to the back of the grid.

Come race time the closeness of the new and favourably received qualifying system, was echoed in a start which saw the Ferraris storm through the first corner, Massa swerving wildly to stop the charge of champion Fernando Alonso. Montoya, too, bustled through, relegating Button to sixth, behind new team-mate Rubens Barrichello. The pattern was set.

There was little to choose between Schumacher and Alonso throughout. The German, whose Ferrari proved quick and solid, despite rumours to the contrary, nurtured a second-wide gap for most of the race as the pair stretched their lead to 20 seconds over the pack. But as they entered the window for their second pit stops, Alonso seized the initiative.

A quicker car, a clearer track and as Schumacher emerged from his stop, Alonso blasted past the champion he had replaced. It visibly unnerved Schumacher whose pace momentarily dropped. But not for long.

He continued to press, getting to within 1.2 seconds but could find no way past and eventually throttled back to settle for second as Alonso started 2006 in the way he finished last year, with victory. The marker though has been laid down. Schumacher is back. Ferrari have a car to fight with.

But others may relish the contest too. Raikkonen, last season's second place finisher to Alonso, again showed why he is so coveted by Ferrari as a 2007 target. The Finn, starting from the back, risked a one-stop strategy and had pushed his way through to third by the time of his stop. It was a position he wouldn't lose.

Once again it was a stunning drive from Raikkonen, ample evidence of the skills that saw him claim seven wins last year.

Almost unnoticed, however, another stunning demonstration was being given by a 20-year-old in his first Formula One race.Many had doubted that Nico Rosberg would live up to his father Keke's legacy, the chain-smoking, hard-driving 1982 champion being rightly celebrated as one of the sport's most committed and competitive pilots.

Yesterday, however, after suffering a first corner spin and pit stop, the Williams rookie, Nico powered through to finish seventh, behind team-mate Mark Webber. On the way he pulled an audacious double bluff move on Red Bull's David Coulthard, feinting left and diving down the inside to wrong-foot the veteran. But it was his race fastest lap that really impressed. Up against the might of Renault, Ferrari, Honda and Mercedes, in a privateer Williams with a Cosworth engine he lapped quicker than anyone.

The combination of the novice's aggressive style, Ferrari's return, Alonso's refusal to lie down and Raikkonen's insistence that McLaren's failings won't be his, has set up a season to relish.

at Manama International Circuit

1 Fernando Alonso (Spain) Renault 1:29:46.205

2 Michael Schumacher (Germany) Ferrari +00:01.246

3 Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) McLaren 00:19.360

4 Jenson Button (Britain) Honda 00:19.992

5 Juan Pablo Montoya (Colombia) McLaren 00:37.048

6 Mark Webber (Australia) Williams - Cosworth 00:41.932

7 Nico Rosberg (Germany) Williams - Cosworth 01:03.043

8 Christian Klien (Austria) RedBull - Ferrari 01:06.771

9 Felipe Massa (Brazil) Ferrari 01:09.907

10 David Coulthard (Britain) RedBull - Ferrari 01:15.541

11 Vitantonio Liuzzi (Italy) Toro Rosso - Cosworth 01:25.997. 12 Nick Heidfeld (Germany) BMW Sauber 1 lap. 13 Scott Speed (US) Toro Rosso - Cosworth 1 lap. 14 Ralf Schumacher (Germany) Toyota 1 lap. 15 Rubens Barrichello (Brazil) Honda 1 lap. 16 Jarno Trulli (Italy) Toyota 1 lap. 17 Tiago Monteiro (Portugal) Midland - Toyota 2 laps. 18 Takuma Sato (Japan) Super Aguri - Honda 4 laps. Retired: Yuji Ide (Japan) Super Aguri - Honda 22 laps. Jacques Villeneuve (Canada) BMW Sauber 28 laps. Giancarlo Fisichella (Italy) Renault 36 laps. Christijan Albers (Netherlands) Midland - Toyota 57 laps.

Fastest Lap: Nico Rosberg, 1:32.408, lap 42.