There is a real sense of anticipation within the sport that the race outside the capital city of Delhi will add some spice to the season now both championships have been settled - as well as introducing a new global powerbroker into F1.

"It's a historic and symbolic moment," enthused Narain Karthikeyan, India's first F1 driver, who returns to a seat at the HRT team this weekend.

"Never did I think there would be Indian race in Formula 1 and never did I think I'd be in it. It's going to be the biggest day of my career."

The sport's first appearance in India was back in 1982, when the Force India team's co-owner Vijay Mallya, then a young businessman with a fascination for fast cars, drove Nelson Piquet's 1978 Ensign in a series of events around India.

But despite Mallya's early foray, the sport's commercial rights holder, Bernie Ecclestone, waited until the mid-nineties before pursuing plans to add India to the calendar. An agreement to stage the race in Greater Noida, a new city outside Delhi, was finally reached four years ago.

Unusually for a new entrant on the F1 calendar, government is not committing any funds to the grand prix. Instead it is a private venture funded by construction specialists the Jaypee Group, which has spent £205m on the new track alone.

Organising the grand prix is the firm's first foray into sport but, despite F1's notoriously high price tag, Jaypee views the project as a strong investment.

The Buddh International Circuit - designed by Ecclestone's favoured architect, Hermann Tilke - has been devised as the centre piece of an ambitious 'Sports City', which will include hockey and tennis stadiums - pitches have already been dug in for a state-of-the-art cricket stadium.

Building cricket stadiums for the sport's devoted Indian audience can be viewed as a pretty safe bet but India's appetite for F1 is more of an unknown quantity.

"You cannot compare F1 with cricket in India because cricket is like a religion," explained president of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India Vicky Chandhok, who described himself as Ecclestone's "eyes" in India.

"But F1 is a vibrant sport, it oozes glamour, it oozes sex and we have the perfect audience - the youngest population in the world are in India."

Karthikeyan, who first saw F1 when a friend bought him a 1989 season review video, agrees the sport should not try to compete for the cricket audience.

"F1 is definitely not watched by the same demographic as cricket," he said. "The urban areas are where F1 is most popular, among people who like technology.

"They have other things on their mind in the predominantly rural areas; where there are farmers, I don't the connection with F1 is that big, whereas cricket is accessible to everyone."

Who F1 will appeal to is one thing but the other big question is how many?

The Indian potential audience is huge, with a population of 1.18 billion. However, a large population and a growing economy does not necessarily make for a receptive audience - as has been proved by the lacklustre response to the Chinese Grand Prix, which has been running for eight years but still struggles to attract a crowd.

Before the Indian GP, it is estimated that 27m Indians tune in to watch F1.

ESPN Star Sports is the sport's sole broadcaster in India - although eight national news channels have also been accredited for the race - and F1 is included in part of a satellite subscription package which Karthikeyan says costs less than a pound a month.

Television audiences for the first Indian GP are expected to rise above 30m, with an estimated 200,000 expected to watch from the grandstands over three days.

The novelty of the first race is bound to lure in a new audience but sustaining both interest and growth in F1 when the circus leaves town is a different challenge.

Thousands of fans turned out in Bangalore to meet McLaren star Lewis Hamilton

On the plus side, motorsport has some established some roots, with national karting and rallying championships already in place as well as a three-tiered single-seater series powered by engine manufacturer Suzuki, whose subsidiary Maruti Suzuki is India's biggest car manufacturer.

Chandhok, whose son Karun is the Team Lotus reserve and only the second F1 driver from India, is confident the GP will spark new interest.

"I honestly think there is going to be a huge boom in motorsport," he said. "People like Karun really struggled to make it because of the [lack of] financial backing but the next generation will find it easier."

Karthikeyan is more cautious: "It could go two ways; one like the Korean Grand Prix where it happens, there is some attention and then nothing happens in any form of motorsport for the rest of the year.

"Or it could be like Malaysia where, after F1 arrived, there is a huge interest in the lower formulae and a lot of motorsport is going on there in a big way.

"There are lot of kids who will see the race in India and want to emulate the drivers."

Force India, who regard the grand prix as an "emotional" home race, have launched their own academy to help ensure the Indian GP is not the only outlet for Indian talent.

"There are three sectors," explained deputy team principal Robert Fearnley. "The first is the one-in-a-billion search for an Indian driver, the second is the idea to help bright young Indian aerodynamicists and mechanical engineers through university and the third is a vocational plan to bring in technicians and mechanics."

There is also confidence that F1 and India will go on to forge mutually beneficial commercial partnerships.

Sauber's Indian-born chief executive Monisha Kaltenborn says: "It was always a bit of a mystery why we couldn't attract Indian companies.

"Because the Indian market is so big, most products and brands didn't necessarily see beyond their boundaries, but now they can use F1 as a platform and we offer our partners something additional if India is a big market for them. It's a win-win situation."

There are, then, a lot of expectations weighing on the first Indian GP, whether it is winning the hearts and minds of a nation, acting as a catalyst for grassroots motorsport or building new global business partnerships.

But there is also a warm confidence that F1 and India are only at the beginning of a fulfilling, new relationship - and there should be some fun to be had too.

"I think you'll enjoy it," smiled Karthikeyan. "You'll be in good hands."

It has been a while since Formula 1 has seen Lewis Hamilton smile, so it was a surprise that even after taking a significant pole position for McLaren in Korea his trademark, happy grin was still missing.

The 26-year-old stared into the middle distance as he stood alongside Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel, who has been beaten just four times in qualifying this year, and his own team-mate Jenson Button.

For the record books Hamilton's pole position represented an end to Red Bull's dominance over one lap this season. For the 2008 world champion, it meant a glimmer of redemption.

When asked directly why he wasn't smiling, Hamilton answered: "I don't feel I deserve it.

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"I've had some tough races in the second half of the season but tomorrow and the rest of the races are what count, avoiding penalties and all those different things.

"[The pole] is one of the first positives. I've had some difficult races in the past and we'll try to redeem ourselves tomorrow."

Hamilton also revealed why he did not respond on McLaren's pit-to-car radio when the team congratulated him on his pole position.

"I wasn't on the radio," he said. "I hadn't heard that in a long time so it was good to hear. It was just a comforting feeling. It was satisfying to hear the guys in the background cheering so that makes me happy."

A traumatic season has seen Hamilton mix errors on track, including nearly taking out his team-mate in Canada, with off-track spats, most controversially his criticism of the stewards in Monaco.

The run of bad results have been in contrast to Button, who has soared in the second half of the season, winning two of the last five races to climb to second in the championship.

Hamilton's troubles have been played out under intense scrutiny and there have been suggestions that he lacks support as he deals with a new management company, in place of his Dad Anthony, and the stresses of a long-distance relationship with pop-star girlfriend Nicole Scherzinger.

There was no escape from further scrutiny in Korea.

When he sat alongside Vettel in the first media conference of the weekend, Hamilton was asked more questions than the man who had become the sport's youngest world champion just four days earlier.

As he spoke to the media, Hamilton admitted that it would take a long time to recover.

A solitary pole may not be enough to complete the process but it could the catalyst for the start of a personal comeback, as well as proving he is back in the groove behind the wheel.

"This is just a very small step but in the right direction," Hamilton reflected. "It was important we got [pole] today and it made a significant difference."

It had been 16 months since Hamilton has been on pole and on race days he has not been on the podium since winning the German Grand Prix in July.

"Hamilton has been flying this weekend," said BBC F1 commentator Martin Brundle. "Every time he's sat in the car he's look good.

"He's got the thing alive and we haven't seen that for a while from Lewis Hamilton."

Hamilton's most immediate challenge is to convert pole into a third victory of the season at Yeongam.

McLaren have had the pace all weekend and Hamilton finished a strong second here in last year's rain-delayed race.

His chances of scoring a pole-to-flag victory could hang on tyre wear and Red Bull have opted for an opposite strategy to rivals McLaren by saving three new sets of the more durable 'soft' tyres for the race.

While Button managed his tyres to win the last race in Japan, Hamilton had to pit early when his tyres degraded badly after just eight laps and he finished a distant fifth.

But he is more optimistic that a change to his car's set-up, which he described as stiff in Suzuka, will help him nurse his tyres through the Korean race.

"The set-up that I have will definitely be easier on the tyres," Hamilton added. "The one I went to in Japan wasn't good for consecutive laps.

"I've come in a different direction which hopefully will be more beneficial in the race."

Whether Hamilton wins or not on Sunday, the embattled 26-year-old has to take this pole position as not only an opportunity to put his rivals behind him, but his troubles too.

To keep his title hopes alive, the McLaren driver has to win this weekend and hope Red Bull's championship leader fails to score a single point.

It is a task almost certainly doomed to fail and Button joked in Suzuka that Vettel was the only person still saying he had a chance to steal a second title from under his nose.

Vettel, who is seeking a third straight pole-to-flag victory in Japan, is the favourite this weekend after taking a mind-boggling 12th pole of the season in Suzuka, but Button lines up second after two days in which McLaren have looked surprisingly competitive.

Button's hopes of victory are very real and, regardless of the championship situation, the 2009 champion has both professional and personal reasons to want to perform well on Sunday.

"I've always loved racing here," Button, whose best finish in Suzuka is third for Honda in 2004, told BBC Sport. "It would mean a lot to me to win here.

"The first year I came here was in 1996 when I raced karts and that was an unbelievable circuit, like the F1 track. Then the first time I came here in Formula 1 in 2000, I qualified fifth and I've finished every year I raced here in Suzuka.

"It's a very special race - I remember watching Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost racing round here wheel-to-wheel - and it does feel like a second home race for me."

Button has been dating Japanese-born Jessica Michibata for three years. Photo: Reuters

McLaren also want Button, or team-mate Lewis Hamilton, to finish as runner-up in the championship and are determined to hold off Ferrari to finish a more lucrative second in the team standings.

With five races left to go, Button leads a compelling battle for second from Ferrari's Fernando Alonso and Red Bull's Mark Webber, and is 17 points ahead of Hamilton.

Beyond points and position, Button, a former Honda driver, is also driven by emotional incentives, not least that he is dating Japanese-born model Jessica Michibata.

"I have a lot of very good connections," said Button, who has in Japanese kanji symbols 'Ichi Ban' - which translates as number one - inked onto his ankle.

"I worked with a Japanese team for seven years, I've had a Japanese girlfriend for the last three and I love this place. I spend a lot of time here in Japan, Kyoto and Hiroshima. I've just been down the coast to a fishing port that has the most amazing sushi.

"I really enjoy the Japanese culture, the food and how respectful the people are and how they welcome other people in. The karaoke is great too - my missus would go to karaoke during the day if she had an hour free, which seems strange to us in Britain!"

In March, while Button was testing in Spain, Michibata was sheltering under a table as an earthquake shook Tokyo.

The after-effects of the tsunami and earthquake, which devastated many coastal parts of island country and killed more than 15,000 people, is another reason why Button wants to race well in front of his Japanese fans.

"It was a really horrible feeling as I couldn't get hold of her," added Button, who, along with Hamilton, is auctioning his race helmet to raise funds for a Japanese charity. "But it was nothing like what the people on the ground were going through.

"Having that connection to Japan it's difficult but I think the Japanese people have shown us how strong they are and how they pull together. They had people going through the rubble and finding things that were worth money and handing them in for charity. I've got a lot of respect for the Japanese people and I think we can learn a lot from them."

Button is hugely popular in Japan and as you wander among the passionate fans in Suzuka many of them are wrapped in British flags or with 'Button' painted on their cheeks and even finger nails.

The English racer might not be able to stop Vettel taking the title in Suzuka but if he can push the German hard for the victory, as he did in Singapore, his efforts will not go unnoticed.

"Japanese people love to celebrate," he added. "Hopefully we can put on a good show for them this weekend and plant a good memory."

Team boss Stefano Domenicali explained, with an air of resignation, that another technical set-back had derailed Ferrari and Fernando Alonso's fight back.
"We have stopped the development [of the car]," Domenicali had said. "It is very, very, very, very, very difficult now."

With 13 races run - and just six to go - Alonso's victory in Great Britain in July remains Ferrari's only win of the season.

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At the time Ferrari had celebrated Silverstone as a significant turning point, laughing off suggestions the win might be a one-off because it happened to coincide with a one-race ban on so-called off-throttle blowing of the diffuser and also relied partly on an error at Vettel's second pit stop.

Ferrari were confident they were now able to interpret data from their wind tunnel correctly - something that had hit them in the early part of the campaign - and that a new package of upgrades was giving them strength in their previous area of weakness - high-speed, high-downforce circuits.

At the next race in Germany, Alonso kept up the charge, narrowly losing out to Lewis Hamilton in a three-way fight to the flag, before the wrong tyre strategy and a late spin relegated him to third in Hungary.

But following the summer break, Ferrari fell off the pace again when they were forced to abandon failed upgrades planned for Belgium and Italy.

"We were expecting a bigger step in our development in Spa," Domenicali revealed. "Unfortunately we discovered it was the opposite so we took a step back, and that was also a step back for Monza."

Ferrari say this time muddled wind tunnel data was not to blame, simply that the upgrades - which focused on a new exhaust system - did not deliver what was expected of them.

Domenicali is optimistic the gap between Ferrari and rivals Red Bull and McLaren will be smaller on Singapore's street circuit, a race Alonso won last year - but closing the gap completely is now a task for 2012.

Pat Fry, who replaced technical director Aldo Costa when the Italian stood down in May, says he is already tackling the development of next season's Ferrari at the team's Maranello headquarters.

Top of the Englishman's to-do list is to improve the car's "absolute downforce" levels and to help with that he says the team will still drip through small developments to the 2011 car for analysis.

Ferrari's failure to effectively interpret new regulations in time for the start of the season has seen them come unstuck in 2009 and 2011.

But with technical rule changes only focussing on the design of the car's exhaust in 2012, Fry is cautiously optimistic that Ferrari can hit the ground running.

"The stability should help," he said. "But it does not mean that automatically you will be able to catch up your opponents.

"We know we have a gap to recover in terms of performance and we need an extra effort to get rid of it: this is one of the main targets of the winter time."

Some F1 experts have ear-marked the former McLaren engineer as the brains behind McLaren's "F-duct" which quickly became 2010's must-have aerodynamic device.

Whether Fry was the anonymous figure behind the creation or not, innovation and fresh-thinking at Maranello will be key when it comes to matching the grey matter of Red Bull's chief technical officer Adrian Newey.

"Adrian's Red Bulls have been the quickest cars in the last two or three years," said Fry, who worked alongside Newey at McLaren in the Nineties.

"[But] to be honest I do not think this is a man-against-man sport, not at all. It is a very complex sport in which a very talented engineer cannot make everything along as he needs the support of many people to succeed.

"At the moment, Red Bull are the reference; our aim is to win, whoever will be our opponents."

President Luca di Montezemolo underlined Ferrari's task when he stalked around the team garage during the Italian Grand Prix weekend and casually strolled across the open pit lane to shake his fist at the tifosi in a gesture of intent.

"I am not happy," said Di Montezemolo, who became founder Enzo Ferrari's right-hand man when he joined the team nearly 40 years ago. "Next year, I expect a competitive car with a clear interpretation of the rules. I hope to win the championship again."

For Fry and Ferrari - and at rivals McLaren where the team are also running over the first interpretation of their 2012 car - the hard work has already begun.

Once the intense competition of qualifying was over in Hungary, the Formula 1 fraternity put aside their rivalries for an unusual social occasion.

Luminaries from the top to the bottom of the paddock had crammed into McLaren's buzzing motorhome on Saturday evening to celebrate Jenson Button's 200th Grand Prix.

It was a fascinating scene for the F1 voyeur. Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali stood chatting to Mercedes motorsport chief Norbert Haug with a friendly arm around his shoulder. Team Lotus driver Jarno Trulli perched on a stool under the towering presence of Silver Arrows team boss Ross Brawn as Sauber's Sergio Perez mingled with the Virgin Racing drivers.

Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso nearly stole the show when the former McLaren arch-rivals warmly embraced each other, suggesting the particularly bitter cold war between the 2007 team-mates was well and truly thawing.

But the evening had been arranged by McLaren to mark Button's career and each of the 31-year-old's previous team bosses - with the exception of exiled Renault boss Flavio Briatore and BAR-Honda chief Dave Richards - spoke enthusiastically about the Somerset-born racer.

Sir Frank Williams had a unique take on the then 20-year-old, recalling: "In those days he was devastatingly good-looking and was always being pursued.

F1 drivers celebrate Jenson Button's 200th grand prix with the McLaren driver. Photo: McLaren

"He is a top, top guy. I really think that. He knew exactly how to get to the top and was completely unstoppable."

After two seasons with the Benetton team, which was re-branded Renault, Button lost his drive to Alonso and joined BAR, which then morphed into Honda.

The Japanese team helped the Englishman win his first race at the 113th attempt in 2006 in the only wet race - so far - to be held at the Hungaroring.

Shortly afterwards Brawn joined Honda, and under the former Ferrari technical guru Button went on to claim the world title in 2009 with the renamed Brawn Grand Prix team.

Brawn toasted his former charge, saying: "Jenson has got some essential qualities; speed, honesty, integrity and professionalism. Eventually he put all those things together in 2009.

"The greatest compliment I can pay him is I'm really sad he's not driving for us still."

Luckily, Michael Schumacher - who just happened to win a record seven world titles with Brawn - and his Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg weren't around to weigh the implications of that remark.

It was left to Martin Whitmarsh, Button's chief at McLaren for the last two seasons, to fill in the gaps in the Englishman's career.

"Grand prix wins 10, pole positions seven, podiums 35, fastest laps four, number of points 650..." Whitmarsh began before Button tried to boost his statistics saying: "Why can't you make some of this up?"

Whitmarsh continued: "What [the list] doesn't say is; a great world champion and a fantastic ambassador to F1 - and the son of a smurf." The latter - and lesser-known fact - was a humorous reference to Dad John Button's nickname 'Papa Smurf'.

Finally, Button took centre stage, surveyed the room of F1 faces, friends, media and McLaren staff before choosing his words carefully.

"Wow! 200," he had begun. "Somebody actually asked me the other day what does 200 mean to you and first of all I thought they were talking about the number of PR days I've done this year.

"For a racing driver, the number normally doesn't mean so much but it makes you think back to the good times you've had - and the bad times.

"Winning the world championship was a big thing for me but winning grands prix and fighting it out with the best, I'm very lucky to be in that position.

"It's not over yet. I'm hoping for many, many more. Martin..?"

Fresh from the thrills of Germany's rollercoaster race, Formula 1's main protagonists are all steeling themselves for another intense fight for victory at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Just over half a second split the McLarens of Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button, Fernando Alonso's Ferrari and the Red Bulls of Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel during Friday practice at the Hungaroring.

Taking into account the fact that the rival teams all run different programmes during Friday's bedding-in sessions - and champions Red Bull rarely reveal their true pace - it was incredibly close.

"Ferrari, Red Bull and McLaren are all looking very strong," said Button. "I wish we had a bit more of an advantage."

Alonso, a serious driver not necessarily famed for his positive outlook, gleefully branded it "good news" that "more than one or two cars can fight for victory".

In contrast, Red Bull's championship leader Vettel, who has a healthy 77-point lead to protect, displayed rare signs of anxiety saying: "We need to raise our game if we want to be at the front."

Red Bull blitzed last year's Hungarian race, with Webber taking the victory as Vettel finished third after he was penalised for breaking the rules when driving behind the safety-car.

The pair were in more cautious mood on Friday but, intriguingly, both Vettel and Webber showed consistent pace during their longer stints in the afternoon, which suggests they are able to eke steady performance out of their tyres.

Alonso stayed out on track for a maximum 10-lap run but also steadily ticked over similar lap times. In comparison, 13-lap stints for both Hamilton and Button were blotted by fluctuating times, although the pace of Hamilton, in particular, was especially impressive if you removed the anomalous laps.

With the soft and super-soft Pirelli tyres available this weekend, all the leading drivers agreed tyre management would be a decisive factor on the circuit's low-grip surface.

The unusually grey skies above the Hungaroring could have a significant effect on tyre performance, especially when it comes to getting them up to optimum temperature during qualifying.

Chilly conditions at the Nurburgring helped Hamilton beat his rivals to the flag, and while it is nowhere near as cold in Hungary, it is also some way from the hot and sunny conditions that prevailed last year.

Hamilton conceded the cooler climate had helped him set the pace on Friday but even if the sunny skies return McLaren are confident they have now solved the problems with their tyre management in hot conditions that hampered them in Valencia.

Separating the leading drivers in Hungary could well come down to their mental attitude going into the race weekend.

Those close to Hamilton said he simply looked "on it" all weekend in Germany, leading some to tell him he would win the race even when the 2008 champion was pouring water on his chances after practice.

Hamilton looks to be in a similarly upbeat frame of mind in Hungary and has been looking relaxed in the company of his brother Nicolas, while Button has also been sporting his trademark smile after two difficult races.

Aside from the distractions of celebrating his 30th birthday with an impromptu appearance from F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone, Alonso was adamant he could squeeze more out of his Ferrari.

But there is one man on a definite mission in Hungary as Vettel is zoned in on his first win in three races. He insisted: "Here we want to be on top again."

BBC F1 commentator Martin Brundle summed up the champion team's chances, saying: "The tide is turning against Red Bull. If they are going to arrest that this is the perfect place to do it - but the early signs are that they've got their hands full."

UPDATE AT 1750 ON SATURDAY:

The fight for pole in Hungary was just as close as those involved in the battle predicted it would be, with just half a second separating the top five drivers.

After ending a three-race wait for a pole, it gave Vettel another chance to come out with his trademark line over the car radio: "Yes, yes, this is what I'm talking about."

But his hunt for a seventh win of the season at the Hungaroring might not be as straightforward.

Alonso, who starts in fifth, predicts Ferrari will be even more competitive than they were at the last race in Germany and he also backed his old rival and team-mate, McLaren's Hamilton, to have better race pace than Vettel's Red Bull.

Hamilton himself declared himself, "massively happy to be in the fight" even if he did just miss out on his first pole position in more than a year.

Webber, who started in sixth as a result of issues with his DRS overtaking device on his hot lap, described Red Bull's race pace as encouraging but stopped short of saying it was more than a match for the resurgence McLaren and Ferraris.

Red Bull know they are in for a tight battle on Sunday but they are confident they are up to the challenge.

Silverstone's owners have spent £40m in the last two years to modernise the historic Northamptonshire circuit that Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone once famously described as a "country fair masquerading as a world event".

Of that cash, raised by the British Racing Drivers' Club, £28m has been absorbed by a state-of-the-art pits and paddock complex, and the rest has gone on improving spectator facilities.

This year, ticket-holders to the British Grand Prix have their own "fans zone" - which curves round the Luffield section of the old grand prix track - new steeped, grass banks to watch from and two brand new grandstands at Farm and along the pit straight.

There's even the equivalent of Wimbledon's "Henman Hill" - which has been unofficially dubbed Hills' Hill after father-and-son world champions Graham and Damon Hill - where fans can watch the racing from a giant screen.

Silverstone has a rebuilt pit lane but not everyone is happy about it. Photo: PA

The philosophy behind the facelift was to give fans the opportunity to rove around in a festival atmosphere - but has the investment improved the experience?

"The last time we came was four years ago and the difference is unbelievable," said Louise Torrance from Aberdeen.

"At the campsites there are now loads of showers, films like The Italian Job at night and a disco as part of the entertainment.

"Was the investment worth it? One hundred percent. We've heard other people saying it's much better than last year, so it can only get better from here on in."

Sarah Davies found herself sharing the weekend with first-time British Grand Prix visitor John Beazley after their mutual friend broke his ankle at the circuit during Friday practice.

Sarah, from Oxford, said: "The medical staff were fantastic. The paramedics took him to the medical centre, set it straight away and took him to hospital."

Beazley, who hails from Sheffield, added: "I've wanted to come for years and years. I've been following motorsport since the Nigel Mansell days and I'm just blown away by the noise and the amazing atmosphere."

The Formula 1 world championship was born at Silverstone 61 years ago when the former World War II airfield hosted the opening round of the sport's inaugural season.

But two years ago Ecclestone was ready to pull the plug on the circuit, leaving the existence of the British Grand Prix in real danger.

The pledge to plunge millions of pounds into Silverstone saved both the circuit and the British GP, and on Sunday a record sell-out crowd of 120,000 fans will come through the gates.

The BRDC can ask for no better vindication than that, but the revamped circuit is not without its problems.

The new pit lane slopes below the level of the track and that means the fans' views of the pit stops from the opposite grandstand are obscured.

The plan had been for the slowest teams on the grid to occupy those garages but the layout was switched so that members of the "Paddock Club" - who pay a premium for their seats - could watch the race-defining stops at Red Bull, McLaren and Ferrari.

The team principals at Red Bull and McLaren, who have been bickering for most of the weekend over a controversial change in the sport's technical regulations, were united in their criticism of the issue.

"For those in the grandstands, who can't see the pit stops, it's a bit of a shame," said McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh.

His Red Bull counterpart, Christian Horner, added: "The spectators are not going to see many Red Bull or McLaren pit stops this weekend. It's not great."

There are also concerns that the relocated podium isn't in front of a grandstand and so fans could be tempted to surge onto the track, just like in less safety conscious days, at the end of the race.

And in times of austerity, it is no surprise that some spectators find Silverstone's ticket prices challenging.

Sarah Davies added: "The prices are expensive. It cost me £300 this weekend which is a lot of money when you're on a budget. Silverstone could do more."

Surprisingly, there was one thing the fans were, on the whole, not complaining about - the temperamental British weather, which sent sheeting rain and gusts of wind across Silverstone.

After all, for British fans there's no place like home.

For a man making his grand prix debut this weekend, Daniel Ricciardo finds himself with an unusual amount of Formula 1 experience.

The Australian Red Bull protege has driven three different F1 cars in the last 12 months.

He piloted Red Bull's championship-winning RB6 car at a test for young drivers at the end of last season, and then became Toro Rosso reserve in 2011 before he was loaned out to Hispania as their race driver for the rest of this season just in time for the British Grand Prix.

Despite going from the fastest car on the grid to the slowest in the space of a few months, Ricciardo is viewing his promotion to Hispania race seat as a big step in the right direction.

"I was only 18 when I was picked up by Red Bull, and I knew there was still quite a few years to prove I could go through the categories and get into F1. It's only become a reality now."

The wet and windy weather that buffeted Silverstone on Friday meant Ricciardo did not have the best conditions in which to show his capabilities during his first full day of practice.

Ricciardo is hoping to impress at Silverstone this weekend. Photo: Getty Images

But he made a solid start, closely matching team-mate Vitantonio Liuzzi in the morning and beating the experienced Italian by 0.209 seconds in the afternoon.

All drivers use the man on the other side of the garage as their initial benchmark but Liuzzi presents an interesting comparison for Red Bull as they assess Ricciardo. The team know just how far Liuzzi's talents reach because he drove for Red Bull in 2005 before joining Toro Rosso.

Does Ricciardo's future with the Red Bull family hang on whether he can regularly beat the Italian?

"It wouldn't hurt," responded Ricciardo. "I'll drive as fast as I can and where I end up will determine my future.

"Tonio is quite experienced and has spent more time with the team than I have. Going by the pace today I was quite happy to be in a competitive range and we'll see how it goes in the dry.

"The plan is to be around and to race in F1 for many years to come so with that I have to be fast and to prove myself."

Ricciardo asked fellow Aussie Mark Webber for some advice this weekend and there is even speculation that Ricciardo could be fast-tracked into Webber's seat in 2012.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has even compared Ricciardo's situation to Damon Hill's route into F1.

Hill stepped into a race seat with Brabham halfway through the 1992 season when he was a reserve for Williams. The next season, Hill was promoted to a race seat with Williams and four years later he won a world title.

So, does Ricciardo fancy a seat with the fastest car in the field?

"Having a connection and a link with Red Bull, it's somewhere in the back of my mind and it would be nice one day," said the Australian, who handily already lives near the team's headquarters in Milton Keynes.

"The news I got last week has filled up quite a bit of space in my head so I will just try and enjoy that at the moment.

"My main objective this weekend is to finish the race. Of course I'll push and try and get as much as I can from the car.

"I don't think we'll be fighting with Red Bull or Ferrari but I don't plan running at the back and having my own race. If I can be a few more places up the grid then of course I'll go for it. It would be nice to be involved in a good fight and I'll be pushing through all the race."

At the end of his first media session as an F1 racing driver, Ricciardo made another unusual gesture as he gathered up the dictaphones in front of him and handed them back one-by-one to each member of the media.

"There are a few more people here than I thought," said Ricciardo, with another trademark grin. "It's nice that people are taking an interest."

It's fair to say that there are plenty of people watching this space. After all, who's to say Ricciardo won't emulate former Red Bull protege Sebastian Vettel and rise through the ranks of Toro Rosso and Red Bull to become a world champion?

Lewis Hamilton knows as well as anyone that the best way to answer criticism is to come back stronger and prove the naysayers wrong.

Odd, then, that in Valencia the McLaren driver has seemed uncertain about his intention to draw a line under a difficult month with a strong performance at this weekend's European Grand Prix.

In a television interview, Hamilton talked confidently about "turning over a new leaf", adding: "I'm looking forward to another opportunity to score points this weekend."

A few minutes later, Hamilton's mood towards the weekend had U-turned as he shrugged: "If it's another bad one, it's another bad one and there's nothing you can do about it."

It didn't look like being a bad weekend on Friday, as Hamilton finished the day as the second fastest man, just 0.2 seconds behind Fernando Alonso's Ferrari.

But when he got out of the car to face the media, Hamilton again sounded flat and when asked whether he could win his first pole of the season he answered: "I'm not going to get my hopes up, that's for sure."

It is hardly surprising that Hamilton finds himself with conflicting emotions. The last two races in Monaco and Montreal have been little short of disastrous for the 2008 champion.

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It began with road rage on the streets of Monte Carlo, where Hamilton criticised the race stewards and called his fellow drivers "ridiculous".

Hopes that the fall-out from his outburst could be assuaged at the next race in Canada - a favourite track where he has twice won - were quashed when Hamilton sent Mark Webber's Red Bull spinning before crashing out as he tried to squeeze past his McLaren team-mate Jenson Button.

Former Ferrari driver Eddie Irvine has claimed Hamilton has "lost the plot" while three-time world champion Niki Lauda went as far as suggesting the Englishman's aggressive driving could "get someone killed".

As if that wasn't enough to take on board, Hamilton has had to face questions about his future after a tete-a-tete with Red Bull boss Christian Horner in Montreal led to renewed speculation Hamilton was actively looking for a way out of McLaren.

While Horner may have played down his keenness on Hamilton in Valencia, there has been plenty of support for the embattled driver.

McLaren have backed him to win this weekend, and some of the F1 fraternity - including Alonso, Webber and driver-turned-BBC analyst Anthony Davidson - urged Hamilton not to change his driving style.

Hamilton himself seems to be flip-flopping between emotions in his response to the criticisms and questions about his future.

The concept of 'backing yourself' may be an adage of former England cricket captain Michael Vaughan but it might just be the best way of Hamilton seizing control of the spiralling situation.

Hamilton is regarded as a naturally fast racer who is capable of pulling off overtaking moves with flare and control - and it is those positive attributes the 26-year-old knows he has to focus on, following chats with Button and McLaren bosses Ron Dennis and Martin Whitmarsh.

"I've stood back and had a look at things," he reflected in Valencia, on the back of his joke that it had taken only "one night out" to recover from Canada.

"The team are always supportive, as are Ron, Martin and Jenson, but when you have tough days in the office you have to try and analyse things and take a step back.

"I like the way I drive but you can always have better judgement and make better calls in the future.

"We are still in the middle of the season and the most important thing is to motivate my team and myself to do better."

McLaren and Hamilton - who has finished second in every European GP staged around Valencia's harbour - have every reason to be confident they will again be competitive this weekend.

The team have demonstrated superior race pace over rivals Red Bull and Ferrari in the last three grands prix and McLaren arrived in Valencia with an upgraded aerodynamic package.

But the momentum within McLaren has, for the moment, swung in Button's favour after the 31-year-old battled his way to victory in Canada and moved up to second in the championship, with Hamilton slipping from that position down to fourth.

Hamilton is already 76 points behind Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel in the title race - and that's more than the equivalent of three race wins.

Hamilton may have stopped short of saying it in so many words in Valencia but, with a deficit like that, the future has to start now.

UPDATE, 1730 BST, SATURDAY 25 JUNE

Hamilton says he plans to think twice before making any potentially risky manoeuvres in the European Grand Prix.

The 26-year-old is not aiming to tone down his natural racing instincts - he just wants to finish safely inside the points.

After four collisions at the last two races in Monaco and Montreal, a relaxed looking Hamilton says he will use his judgement to ensure he is on the podium, at the very least, in Valencia.

Hamilton qualified third behind the Red Bulls of Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber. He started in exactly the same position last season and from there he took second.

The Englishman has a good record around the Marina Circuit - he's actually finished as runner-up in the all three races European GPs held here - and if McLaren can manage the tyres in hot race conditions he has every chance of keeping up his good record.

On Friday morning, I had to gingerly step aboard a tender and then climb a rope ladder dangling from the side of a yacht to interview Renault's Nick Heidfeld on deck. Yes, this really could only happen in Monaco.

Without a doubt, the glamour and prestige of the tiny principality, where residents are required to have a significant sum in the bank, inflates F1's wow factor.

"I love it here, it is fantastic," crooned Lewis Hamilton, a Monaco race-winner in 2008 for McLaren. "Wow, this is such a beautiful place to be."

Monaco's street circuit provides a unique thrill for spectators (Getty)

After a muted showing in recent years, the harbour is once again crammed with multi-million pound yachts. Force India owner Vijay Mallya held a Bollywood-themed party on the Indian Empress while the imposing Force Blue made its return with flamboyant owner and former Renault boss Flavio Briatore on board.

Red Bull and Toro Rosso have also taken to water in their floating motorhome - complete with its own swimming pool - while Ferrari have gone one better by putting up their personnel on a yacht.

With such exotic playthings at hand it's hardly surprising the guest list includes Hollywood A-listers Scarlett Johansson and Leonardo di Caprio.

But for all the privilege and status on show, the Monaco Grand Prix also provides unrivalled access for fans.

The more affluent spectator can fork out up to £3,800 for Sunday's race but the cheapest seat is £65 and offers amazing trackside views and a party atmosphere from the Rochers hill along the side of the royal palace.

It's also the only paddock where fans can walk along the waterfront and peer into the teams' inner sanctums before posing for photos with their heroes as they emerge from the motorhomes.

And when the racing is over and dusk falls, the party begins on the track as fans sip a biere or two at the Rascasse bar.

Glitzy promotional events are par for the course in Monaco (Getty)

When Stirling Moss raced here during the Sixties he developed a habit of waving at female fans sunning themselves along the harbour.

Moss said he even used it as a ploy in the 1961 grand prix when he was under pressure from Richie Ginther's chasing Ferrari. Moss took his hand off the wheel to salute a girl and prove he wasn't feeling under pressure.

But can McLaren driver Jenson Button, a Monaco playboy turned triathlete, still have a sneaky glimpse at an average speed of 100mph? "No," he answered sternly.

Whatever you think of Monaco's champagne and celebrity, the yachts and those who pose upon them, Button is spot on - none of it detracts from the racing through the streets.

The miniature land, stacked on a rocky lip of land between France's Mont Angel mountain and the Mediterranean, is just made for the fastest cars in the world to hurtle around.

First comes the noise, the hum hidden among the biscuit-coloured buildings that gathers to a roar as the cars flash past.

Watching the cars fly by the grand Casino, weave nose-to-tail round the hairpin, thunder through the tunnel and then out again in a blink of light past the water and back round to Rascasse is mesmerising, and often nail-biting.

The late Ayrton Senna, who won in Monaco a record six times, spoke of an out of body experience as he glided between the barriers and round the twisting curves.

Driving precision is everything here and there is virtually no let-up, no straights to clear the head over 78 laps.

Two-time Monaco winner turned BBC pundit David Coulthard commented: "For me there's no better challenge for the driver than Monte Carlo and no more glamorous grand prix. For me it's still a thrill."

Rookie Paul di Resta has been the subject of high praise in the Formula 1 paddock in Shanghai after scoring a point in each of his first two races.

The Scottish Force India driver was even likened by one journalist to French legend Alain Prost, another rookie who collected points on his debut.

Praise does not come much higher than that - Prost, who first burst on to the F1 scene with McLaren in 1980, went on to win four world championships and 51 grands prix.

But Di Resta is refusing to get caught up in the hype bubbling around him because he views his performances in Australia and Malaysia somewhat differently.

"All I can say is that we expected a bit more but for whatever reason it didn't quite come," Di Resta told BBC Sport.

"It's nice to get [my first points] out the way at the first and second grands prix.

"But that is the job we're out there to do and it has been a realistic target on both occasions."

If the main priority on his F1 tick-list was collecting his first F1 points, then the second is beating the man in the same machinery.

Di Resta, who was signed by Force India in January after learning the ropes last season as the team reserve, has already out-qualified team-mate Adrian Sutil twice and finished one place ahead of the German in Malaysia.

He had also been ahead of Sutil in Melbourne but the pair swapped places in the pits because they were running on different strategies and Di Resta crossed the line just behind Sutil in 10th.

"You can gauge yourself against your team-mate," added Di Resta. "And I've got a lot of respect for Adrian.

"I'd like to keep it where it's been and through the races I'm gaining more confidence. I did get the better of him in Malaysia but it's not always going to be like that.

"I wouldn't say he has to be afraid. Adrian is very quick and he's established, all I can say is that our performance has been comparable."

Winning a place in F1 has also given Di Resta, who is the cousin of the three-time IndyCar champion Dario Franchitti, a second chance to test his mettle against his former rivals Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton.

In his junior career, Di Resta raced against the future F1 world champions, notably beating his then team-mate Vettel to the Formula Three Euroseries crown in 2006 when the German was already dipping his toe into F1 as a tester for BMW Sauber.

Now he has returned to competition with his teenage rivals, does Di Resta think they have grown beyond him in terms of talents?

"They've got good equipment and they're good drivers but at the same time I don't think that anybody's special," he added.

"It's been good [to be competing against them] but at the same time they are a little bit up the end of the grid.

"I'd like to be racing against them. One day I'm sure we will be but I'm not going to compare myself against Sebastian when I'm not in the same car."

Di Resta has out-qualified his experienced team-mate in both races so far. Photo: Getty

And what if Di Resta was alongside Vettel in the second Red Bull?

"I'd be hopeful I'd be as competitive as Sebastian," he added.

"How much he has developed and how much I've developed from 2006 no-one will ever now until we are in the same position again."

Di Resta is refreshingly clear and open about where he finds himself in his fledging F1 career and where he wants to go.

But there are two points on which the Scot would not be drawn; what his ultimate aim is for 2011 and what difficulties he is contending with.

"I've tried not to think about personal targets at the moment," added Di Resta, whose preparations for the Chinese Grand Prix were hampered by a fuel-pressure problem that kept him consigned to the pits for second practice on Friday. "It's too early to do that.

"I'll take it week by week but what I've achieve I want more now of - and you keep wanting more until you've got it.

"I'm not going to speculate on what [I find difficult] as there are people who will pick up on it and I believe that on the outside you need to show you're strong.

"That is the whole idea of competitive nature, you pick someone's weak bits and you bounce on top of it."

There is one wish, however, that Di Resta is happy to talk about and that is the treat he would like for his 25th birthday, which he celebrates this weekend.

"I'd like some more points," he says instinctively. "I'd like some nice cars but there is plenty of time later in life for that, so I'll take some more points."

POST-QUALIFYING UPDATE, 1100 BST, SATURDAY 16 APRIL:

Di Resta's quest to end his birthday weekend on a high with more points to add to his tally was given a nice boost by a career-best qualifying performance in Shanghai.

The 25-year-old had not done any qualifying simulations during his limited running on Friday but he battled his way into the top-10 shoot-out for the first time and claimed eighth on the grid.

Di Resta, who passed Nico Rosberg of Mercedes in Malaysia and almost got the better of Michael Schumacher's Silver Arrow in a battle for ninth place, is now feeling confident he can move forwards during the race.

"Our race pace doesn't seem to be too bad," said Di Resta. "So fingers crossed we can pick up some points again."

There was only ever going to be one way for Mark Webber to prove he is capable of renewing his fascinating rivalry with his Red Bull team-mate Sebastian Vettel in 2011 and that is on the track.

After a lacklustre weekend in Melbourne - where Webber qualified 0.8 seconds behind the German world champion and finished fifth in a race Vettel won easily - the Australian showed the first signs of a return to form by setting the pace on Friday in Malaysia.

Webber had arrived in Kuala Lumpur in an unusually monosyllabic mood, especially when he was asked for a post mortem of just what went wrong at the first race.

"I'm not going to make a meal of what happened in Melbourne, let's just talk about Malaysia," he warned the media throng.

The message from the no-nonsense Webber - who uses the alias Aussie Grit on social networking website Twitter - is that he was not looking for excuses for his damp squib of a start to the season.

As it happens, the Australian had a pretty good excuse. It emerged in Malaysia that he hauled his Red Bull around Albert Park with a broken rear suspension.

"There were some issues post-race with the car and the guys found a few things they weren't happy with," Webber told the BBC in an exclusive interview which will be aired during Sunday's race show on BBC One.

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"Seb and I have been covered by a fag packet here and there over the course of past sessions so I'm hoping - and looking to make sure - that Australia was my worse performance of the year. It just has to be. We cannot continue like that, being that far off."

Webber may have topped both practice sessions around Sepang's demanding curves and long straights but it is still too early to know whether he can make his advantage count on the circuit's unforgiving asphalt and under Malaysia's unpredictable skies.

Last season, Webber grabbed his first of five poles in Malaysia, only to hand Vettel victory at the first corner when, erroneously thinking he was clear of the field, he left the door open and his team-mate slipped into the lead.

Vettel is again breathing down his neck in Sepang, ending Friday just 0.214 seconds behind him, with McLaren drivers Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton separating him from Webber.

Intriguingly, F1 insiders say the Red Bull rivals are protective about showing each other their true pace on Fridays, much to the chagrin of team boss Christian Horner, and only reveal which of them has the upper hand during qualifying.

Nonetheless, Webber will take a psychological boost from beating his team-mate on paper. Like last year, Red Bull once again have the fastest car and, if they can convert that pace into spoils on Sunday, the two team-mates could make it a private fight for the drivers' crown.

There were times last season when the pendulum swung in Webber's favour. He won four races and led the championship three times, only to finish third as Vettel conjured a breathtaking finish to take the title at the final race.

As Webber prepares to rejoin battle, the 34-year-old is drawing inspiration from last season's battle scars.

"It can only help only having a year that I went through," said Webber. "A lot of positives happen but of course it was very, very disappointing not to win the championship. A mountaineer could have a similar experience, to get so close to the top but not to look over the top.

"It takes time and reflection to get over that [but] if it doesn't make you stronger I'd be surprised."

The full interview with Mark Webber will be shown during BBC One's race programme on Sunday which begins at 0800 BST

McLaren are renowned for their ability to get themselves out of trouble with feverish car development but the Formula 1 community are wondering if they can pull off their biggest Houdini act yet at the Australian Grand Prix.

After three winter tests where they struggled for reliability and pace, McLaren marched to the top of the timesheets as Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton set the fastest times on the opening day of practice at the first race of the season.

McLaren personnel were seen arriving at Melbourne airport laden with boxes and boxes of new parts as the English team instigated a major overhaul of the lagging MP4-26.

Team boss Martin Whitmarsh described the modifications as "risky" but predicted the gamble could garner a second in pace to help close the gap on pre-season front-runners Red Bull and Ferrari.

As twilight fell on the first day of 2011 season, the McLarens held sway at the top of the timings, with leader Button bettering Fernando Alonso's Ferrari by 0.147 seconds and Red Bull's champion Sebastian Vettel by 0.160secs.

There was every sign - not to mention a ripple of surprise in the paddock - that McLaren's gamble had paid off.

"It's encouraging and a step in the right direction," a tired but pleased Whitmarsh told BBC Sport.

"The truth is we had a variety of creative exhaust systems and we got some good performance. But we didn't have something that was sufficiently durable in my view, which is why I said to the engineers: 'Let's get something that can be solid and can deliver.' And that's what we chose to do. We needed something reliable that would perform here at the race.

"Everyone has worked hard to get the package here in 10 days flat."

Button also pointed to another encouraging first for McLaren - a car that was capable of completing a race distance, something the team were not able to achieve in testing.

"We've got reliability, which is something we haven't had all winter," Button, who is chasing a third straight win in Melbourne, explained.

"To have a car that can run for as many laps as we want to is great.

"Whatever we'd have done in testing we still wouldn't have been running quickest even if other cars had run on high fuel so I'm very happy with the step we've made."

Top times may be one thing but they do not tell the whole story in F1 - especially in practice when it is not known how much fuel each team has on board. The fact that the teams are still feeling their way with the new Pirelli tyres in the environment of a race weekend adds a further layer of uncertainty.

Tyre management and strategy will be crucial to determining the outcome of races this season as the Pirellis are not only degrading quickly but there is a great performance differential between the compounds.

But McLaren felt they could draw on another positive here, saying they were comfortable with the tyre performance even on Melbourne's bumpy and dusty temporary track.

Ferrari also said they had experienced "less obvious tyre degradation" while in contrast Red Bull's hard tyres were visibly worn during six-lap stints in first practice.

"I've got to say our guys really held the tyres together and exceeded expectations in durability and performance over long runs," added Whitmarsh.

While there are smiles all round at McLaren - even from former boss Ron Dennis, who is keeping his watchful eyes on proceedings - no one is getting carried away.

"It was an encouraging day," commented Whitmarsh. "All we are trying to do is keep our feet on the ground."

Many F1 insiders believe that neither Red Bull nor Ferrari have yet to unleash their true pace in qualifying trim.

Like the great white sharks lurking in Australian water, last season's top predators could well be circling their prey before launching an attack in qualifying.

But if McLaren have sharpened their teeth and taken a genuine step forward in time for the first grand prix then any already hotly-anticipated F1 opener has now got even hotter.

Over the final two pre-season tests in Barcelona, team analysts have been poring over reams of data, calculating fuel levels and conjuring tyre tactics to try to find out where their team falls in 2011's pecking order.

The teams were unanimous in one thing - Red Bull will once again be the ones to watch in 2011.

But as the field of 12 teams prepares to race under new regulations for the new season, the champions may not have it all their own way.

Just like last season, Ferrari are not far behind Red Bull.

The Red Bull has looked ominously fast in all conditions in pre-season testing. Photo: Getty

In terms of pure pace, the champions have yet to push the RB7 in full qualifying trim - with some insiders saying they believe the car has never been on track with less than 80kg of fuel on board when 10kg is usually enough for qualifying.

Despite this, world champion Sebastian Vettel and team-mate Mark Webber have managed to top the timings in Barcelona four times out of eight days between them.

Red Bull have also raised eyebrows with their consistency and speed over longer spells on track.

Analysis of Webber's long runs at the final test suggested that after 10 or more laps he was 0.7 seconds per lap faster than others, showing the car has pace and is kinder on the tyres.

That could be crucial in a season when tyre wear and management is expected to be key factors.

Over at Ferrari, championship runner-up Fernando Alonso and his team-mate Felipe Massa have both shown pace in shorter bursts and strength in race simulations, but analysts point to tyre life as a potential weakness for the Italian marque.

After teething problems in the first three tests, Mercedes bared their teeth in Barcelona as Michael Schumacher was unassailable at the top of day four's timesheets in the heavily upgraded Mercedes.

Insiders within the team are confident they are now the third fastest team on track - if not the second.

Behind Red Bull, Ferrari - and now perhaps Mercedes - the pack tightens around the midfield of Renault, Williams, McLaren, Toro Rosso and Sauber.

After a catalogue of headaches, from exhaust, hydraulics and engine problems to a lack of spare parts, McLaren have done little to show they will start 2011 where they left off as F1's third fastest team.

The mood within McLaren has swung between concern, voiced painfully by both drivers Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button, and optimism that things will better.

And on the plus side, it would not be the first time McLaren have had to battle back from a difficult design through determined development.

Ferrari appear to be best of the rest - just as they were in 2010. Photo: AFP

"If you had to pick a team on the grid who could make most progress throughout the course of year, McLaren are the ones to flag up every time," one rival team insider commented.

"In 2009 they took a car that was 3.5 seconds off the pace of the [eventual champions] Brawn to races wins at the end of the year."

Of 2010's three new entrants, Team Lotus appear to have made the most progress - on pace alone the Norfolk-based team have made up at least a second over the winter to move closer to Force India at the back of the pack.

There is, however, a view up and down the paddock that Formula 1's new regulations could upset the form book.

When Pirelli won the contract to supply the sport's tyres this season in place of Bridgestone, the Italian company was asked to make the rubber less durable in the hope that it would spice up racing.

The early signs are Pirelli have delivered on what was asked of them.

Throughout the four pre-season tests, two themes have come up time and again; how quickly the Pirelli tyres are degrading and the performance difference between the four compounds.

For the first three races in Melbourne, Malaysia and China, the teams can only choose between the soft and hard tyres.

Pirelli motorsport director Paul Hembery predicts the soft tyres will last between 10-15 laps and the hards up to 25.

One experienced F1 race engineer estimates the difference between those tyres could be worth as much as 1.3 seconds a lap.

Tyre selection and when to change them during a race will be crucial to deciding 2011's winners and losers.

Team strategists believe by getting it right - or wrong - strategy calls could be worth up to six positions.

"The team with the fastest car may not necessarily win the races," warned Mercedes team principal Ross Brawn.

"If you are out on track on the wrong tyre at the wrong time, people will overtake you. There is more potential to get it wrong than there was last year. It's a challenge I'm relishing."

The pit wall strategists and the drivers will have to work together to determine tyre strategy over the weekend.

Drivers who have a good feeling for tyres and how to manage them - the likes of Schumacher, Button and Renault's Nick Heidfeld - will use that skill to their advantage.

The return of the kinetic energy recovery and power-boost system (Kers) and the introduction of the moveable rear wing also increase the pressure in the cockpit.

"Drivers used to drive the car and were not that good at controls and switches; now they are totally dominated by them," explained Williams technical director Sam Michael.

"It will be a real thinking game now; tyre degradation, how you are using Kers and the rear wing. You are going to see drivers making some mistakes, that's for sure."

At the final test in Barcelona, the F1 field were beginning to tire of looking into their crystal ball to respond to questions on form and expectations for the new season.

In less than two weeks' time, the drivers will race through the leafy surroundings of Melbourne's Albert Park and find the answers - whether they like them or not.