Mark Winterbottom capitalised on pole position to record a maiden win for Ford’s FG X Falcon V8 Supercar in Race 1 at Albert Park.

Winterbottom beat fellow front-row starter and team-mate Chaz Mostert to the first corner on the double-file rolling restart.

A multi-car accident on the opening laps brought the Safety Car out for three circuits, before Winterbottom controlled the restart and the remainder of the 12 lap affair.

The result marked Winterbottom’s first victory since June last year, where he triumphed at Hidden Valley.

Mostert took the flag two seconds adrift with Clipsal 500 winner James Courtney completing the top three.

Shane van Gisbergen overtook David Reynolds for fourth shortly after the restart, with minor contact at Turn 6 shuffling the Ford down the order, eventually finishing 19th.

Fabian Coulthard trailed Van Gisbergen home in fifth ahead of Jamie Whincup, Tim Slade, Rick Kelly, Craig Lowndes and Garth Tander in a largely uneventful race.

The single Safety Car had been required on the opening lap to retrieve the stranded Mercedes of Ash Walsh.

Walsh had been involved in a multi-car fracas on the run to Turn 6 that also saw the cars of Marcos Ambrose and Tim Blanchard spinning down the road.

Blanchard drove his crumpled Holden back to its garage while Ambrose continued at the back of the field, sporting cosmetic damage on the way to 23rd.

Also down the order was Scott McLaughlin, who finished 17th after dropping back to last when he was shuffled wide at Turn 3 on the opening lap.

The second of four V8 Supercars races will get underway at 1820 local time, with the grid set on the result of Race 1.

Result: V8 Supercars Race 1, Albert Park

1

Pepsi Max Crew

Mark Winterbottom

Ford Falcon FG/X

27:39.15

1:59.0121*

2

Pepsi Max Crew

Chaz Mostert

Ford Falcon FG/X

27:40.89

01:59.06

3

Holden Racing Team

James Courtney

Holden Commodore VF

27:44.37

01:59.03

4

Team Darrell Lea STIX

Shane Van Gisbergen

Holden Commodore VF

27:47.83

01:59.07

5

Freightliner Racing

Fabian Coulthard

Holden Commodore VF

27:47.95

01:59.49

6

Red Bull Racing Australia

Jamie Whincup

Holden Commodore VF

27:48.95

01:59.74

7

Supercheap Auto Racing

Tim Slade

Holden Commodore VF

27:50.31

01:59.95

8

Nissan Motorsport

Rick Kelly

Nissan Altima

27:52.86

02:00.17

9

Red Bull Racing Australia

Craig Lowndes

Holden Commodore VF

27:53.42

02:00.24

10

Holden Racing Team

Garth Tander

Holden Commodore VF

27:53.94

02:00.25

11

Nissan Mororsport

James Moffat

Nissan Altima

27:54.86

02:00.27

12

Team BOC

Jason Bright

Holden Commodore VF

27:55.33

02:00.12

13

Nissan Motorsport

Todd Kelly

Nissan Altima

27:55.80

02:00.27

14

Repair Management Aust Racing

Nick Percat

Holden Commodore VF

27:56.82

02:00.21

15

Walkinshaw Racing

Lee Holdsworth

Holden Commodore VF

27:57.52

02:00.31

16

Erebus Motorsport V8

Will Davison

Mercedes E63 AMG

27:58.00

02:00.31

17

Wilson Security Racing GRM

Scott McLaughlin

Volvo S60

27:58.97

02:00.16

18

Team GB Galvanizing

Dale Wood

Holden Commodore VF

27:59.59

02:00.45

19

The Bottle-O Racing Team

David Reynolds

Ford Falcon FG/X

28:00.16

02:00.53

20

Nissan Motorsport

Michael Caruso

Nissan Altima

28:07.89

02:00.55

21

Wilson Security Racing GRM

Chris Pither

Volvo S60

28:10.72

02:01.80

22

Super Black Racing

Andre Heimgartner

Ford Falcon FG

28:12.48

02:00.83

23

DJR Team Penske

Marcos Ambrose

Ford Falcon FG/X

28:22.28

02:01.74

DNF

Erebus Motorsport V8

Ashley Walsh

Mercedes E63 AMG

DNF

Team Cooldrive

Tim Blanchard

Holden Commodore VF