Now that the dust (or perhaps that should be sand) has settled after Bahrain, what have we learned as the teams check in to Melbourne?
For me it's the fact that preparation (or lack of it) is everything. Those teams who had the time and resources to make use of every minute of testing prospered. Unlike this time last year, continuity was everything, and it has been plain to see the teams who have got it right.
Red Bull may not have won the first race, but they were right on the money from Friday practice. It was more evolution than revolution for the car, and you can't blame the team. The 2009 car was a cracker and Adrian Newey has ensured the 2010 edition has built on those rock solid foundations. It helps when you don't have to re-invent the wheel.
An unchanged line-up of drivers has also helped. No new relationships to build, no new requirements and driving styles. But for a dodgy spark plug, Sebastien Vettel would have waltzed from pole to chequered flag. Don't bet against it in Melbourne. Lewis Hamilton won't be. He's gone on record this week as saying the Red Bull is 'ridiculously faster than anyone else's car'. From midfield also-rans to front runners, Red Bull have shown what it takes to get some traction in this cut-throat business.
Ferrari are another team who have got their preparation right and have looked fast. Admittedly, their driver line-up has changed, but trading in a disinterested Kimi Raikkonen for a double world champion in Fernando Alonso is hardly a backward step. He is thrilled to be there and the team are thrilled to have Felipe Massa back.
At the other end of the grid, the new teams have shown how a lack of preparation can really lay bare frailties. How the FIA let Hispania arrive at Bahrain having not turned a wheel in anger beats me. They got only one car out on Friday, and poor old Karun Chandock only drove his first lap in qualifying.