Let's start with an apology. At the end of the last column I predicted the season was going to be 'too tight to call'. Imagine my surprise then when Sebastian Vettel qualified a country mile ahead of everyone else (without using the Kers power boost system), and was two and half seconds ahead of the field at the end of the first lap in Melbourne.
It goes to show how pre-season can be a notoriously bad indicator of what lies ahead. The biggest anti-climax was the adjustable rear wing. We all held our breath waiting for the explosion of overtaking, and then exhaled slowly as nothing happened. It took until the 25th lap for Jenson Button to finally get past somebody using the device.
There have been lots of mutterings from those in authority about the system taking time to bed down and it will be interesting to see if the long straight in Malaysia this weekend will make any difference. The worry is that not even giving drivers this artificial advantage will overcome the basic problem of overtaking in F1. There is still enough dirty air from the aerodynamics of the car in front to negate the extra downforce and speed the open rear wing provides.
Tyres were another big surprise in Melbourne. They will be very closely watched in Sepang, where the conditions will be totally different. Pirelli were tasked with making the tyres more fragile, more susceptible to wear. The idea was to make racing more unpredictable and force teams into multiple pit stops, but in Melbourne it was business as usual.
Rookie Sergio Perez even managed a one-stop race with the last long stint done on the softer tyres. Not even Perez's team thought that was possible. It is entirely plausible that the race was a one-off. Already predictions are being made of a four-stop race in Malaysia. Certainly the conditions will put more strain on the tyres and by extension the teams. High temperatures might help grip, but it also makes them disintegrate quicker. Recent history also tells us there is a very high possibility of rain, and that would change the nature of the tyres and the race completely.
The other big surprise was the performance of some of the big teams. Red Bull had been almost universally tipped to lead the pack and that they did, but McLaren and Ferrari shocked us for opposite reasons. McLaren looked dead in the water during pre-season testing, but they head to Malaysia rejuvenated after a very strong showing in Australia. That was mainly down to being brave enough to scrap their complicated exhaust system and cobble together a new, simpler one. It might have looked a bit rough and ready but, along with other upgrades, it did the job and Lewis Hamilton made it to the podium.