Red Bull-Renault

It's not impossible that F1's biggest team without a manufacturer link could one day become a genuine frontrunner, and Red Bull will probably never get a better opportunity to do that than now. The RB5, produced by a team led by Adrian Newey, is an elegant response to the new regulations and has shown well in testing.

Meanwhile, the match-up between Mark Webber and ex-Toro Rosso wunderkind Sebastian Vettel will provide an intriguing subplot. But, even if the RB5 is on the pace initially, the big test will be whether Red Bull is capable of matching the development pace of its rivals.