First corner carnage brought out the safety car on the opening lap and led to the retirement of five drivers including Webber, Australia's only participant.
Honda's Jenson Button, one of the immediate casualties after a coming together with fellow-Briton Antony Davidson and Germany's Sebastian Vettel, said it had been "mayhem everywhere".
"Somebody came on the right hand side of my car like a kamikaze and pushed me out," added Force India's Italian Giancarlo Fisichella.
Also see: Raikkonen raring to go
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