With just the one test over with, two more coming and Melbourne only five weeks away, I thought I'd run through what I think of the teams, the drivers and the rules ahead of the new Formula One season.
Mercedes Still The Team To Beat
After a seriously impressive 2014, Mercedes came to the first test in Jerez in high spirits. I'm almost certain that they left feeling even better. Barring a few electrical and engine problems, they clocked up an impressive 1,419 miles of running with their (sort of) new engine. Including a whopping 157 laps in their first day in the new car, which hadn't seen the light of day up until that point. the car clearly isn't afraid of doing the mileage, and neither are the drivers with Lewis Hamilton claiming, "117 laps today felt fairly easy." To do well over a race distance and still feel relaxed, that's an amazing feat. Why are they getting paid so much if it's this simple? Maybe I should have a crack, I don't know.
This season is shaping up to be another titanic battle between the Mercedes teammates. Rosberg, to his credit, limped home in the last race of the season in 2014 but I'd expect him to be well in the mix come Abu Dhabi. I doubt as if Hamilton will have such a run around this year. Having got to grips with the new rules last year, Nico Rosberg will be motivated to show that he can be the better driver.
Red Bull Struggle Again
Despite the fact Daniel Ricciardo won three races in 2014 and was the closest competitor Mercedes had, that Renault engine is dreadful. If it weren't for Adrian Newey and his team of technical wizards, they wouldn't have even had a sniff of the championship. As it was, the miracle workers from Milton Keynes worked their magic and made up lost ground with possibly the best chassis they've ever developed. As an unfortunate by-product, the new kid on the block made a quadruple world champion look incredibly ordinary. Small wonder Vettel left for Ferrari, at least if he loses there, it would be to another previous world champion. A very quiet first test is reminiscent of last season where reliability forced them to do very little running in the build-up to Melbourne.
What will happen with the new driver lineup of Ricciardo and Kvyat? One thing is for certain, Vettel moving on can do no end of good for this team. When things aren't going his way, Vettel has a tendency to turn into a stroppy teenager. Whereas Ricciardo is rarely seen without that wide Aussie grin. If they can get on top of their reliability probles, there's no reason why they can;t be racing for podiums this season.
Fear the Ferrari
Lap times are notoriously unreliable during winter testing, as BBC Sport loves telling people. However, they always have straplines like 'Raikonnen Ends Jerez Test On Top.' Yeah, thanks for that. Looking at the lap times, it does seem as if Ferrari have got on top of the stupid problems that plagued them last season. It wasn't so much the lack of pace on the track that was the problem but the extremely Italian bickering and arm waving occurring off it. At least they seem to have it under control, for now. The management reshuffle has actually done the team some good, they look more focused and better for it. The car looks good out there and, hopefully, it will bring the Scuderia back to winning ways.
Vettel will have met his match in Raikonnen. The ice-cold Finn is calm and fast. His comeback in 2012 was impressive, considering he was driving a Lotus. Vettel is no stranger to tough competition, but he will have to learn a thing or two from his new team and teammate if he is to cut it at Ferrari. This season, I don't expect there to be a number one or two at the team, so Vettel will have to race on Raikonnen's terms, not on his own and I wouldn't imagine for him to enjoy that so much.
Will Williams Return To Winning Ways?
I sure hope so. Claire Williams is one of the best people in the paddock. Her energy and enthusiasm for racing makes her the perfect person to step into her father's massive shoes. Sir Frank, taking a step back from frontline management as he careers into his seventies, must have watched last season and smiled. With the Mercedes engine in the back, a wonderfully flamboyant Brazilian and a calm collected Finn behind the wheels, there is nothing this team cannot achieve. The pace of the car in a straight line is immense. If you thought 2014 was a good year for them, strap yourselves in and watch what a truly motivated and historic team can do when they believe that they have a fighting chance for the championship for the first time since Jacques Villeneuve.
Retaining the driving lineup was crucial for success. Attempting to bed in a new driver while he learns the different controls of the new wheel whilst also learning a whole new car and potentially a new powertrain can be exhausting. Felipe Massa and Valteri Bottas both drover superbly last year, so I expect them to be high up by the business end of the season.
Are Honda Hiding Something?
With just 72 laps completed over four days, most would consider the test in Jerez to have been a failure for the new McLaren-Honda team. But then, most wouldn't have been paying close attention. This is a brand-new power unit, not an improvement on last year's model. This means that Honda have had a full year to watch their rivals' engines and work out the best ways forward. Barring any serious problems, I'd imagine the new car to be running well at the next test in Barcelona and to get some serious mileage under its belt. What I picked up on most importantly was something Ron Dennis said, that the engine was only running at '50% power' for the entire test. Now, I know that's almost likely a ruse to put the other teams off, but even if it was running at 85%, that still means that the power output could easily match that of the Mercedes. That, coupled with the best rear end of any car so far to break cover, could mean that McLaren are about to emerge from the dark ages they have found themselves in recently.
Alonso is back. Is there any more I need say on the drivers? Probably. Jenson Button has been retained, which is a shame for Kevin Magnusson but, ultimately, the right decision. The last time Fernando Alonso sat in a McLaren, it was next to a 22 year old Lewis Hamilton, and that didn't go down well. The expertise he brings to the team, along with being recognised as one of the, if not the, finest driver of this generation, will be invaluable for the new team. Button has been with them since 2010 and is a fan's favourite thanks to his smooth driving style and his ineffable charm.
The New Rules
Not many, just a few that prevent the front of the cars looking like they're compensating and the ditching of double points (yes!). Also, the reintroduction of nearly everything getting resolved by a drive-through penalty or a stop-go penalty. This means that, in almost all cases, the race will be won or lost on the track, rather than after a lengthy stewards enquiry. James Hunt would be pleased.
All in all, this will be a spectacular season. I'll certainly be watching come Melbourne! Although, please can we just have the season ending in Brazil every year? Why do we have to go to Abu Dhabi? It's not a good circuit!
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