Valencia
At the end of the first Formula 1 pre-season test, three teams emerged as pace-setters for the hotly-anticipated new season.
It was no real surprise to see Red Bull's world champion Sebastian Vettel become the first to lay down a marker before Fernando Alonso went faster for Ferrari the following day.
But there were also intriguing early signs in Valencia this week that Renault have taken a competitive step forward over the winter.
Valencia
On a cold January morning in Valencia it was hard for Red Bull to bask in their glories of last season's double championship success as they
World champion Sebastian Vettel wisely wore a woolly hat and a blond beard as he and team-mate Mark Webber shiveringly unsheathed the RB7.
There was even an early attempt to burst Red Bull's bubble when a plucky journalist asked in the team's first media conference of the new season, "Have you thought that this car could be complete junk?"
Webber stared into the middle distance, designer Adrian Newey fashioned a face of indifference and it was left to Vettel to answer in shock, "No!"
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People often ask how I came to be the Formula 1 lady for the ´óÏó´«Ã½ website. Well, after being dragged around vintage car rallies and auto jumbles by my Dad, motor racing got under my skin. I am now a fully paid-up member of F1's travelling circus after a year on the road as part of the ´óÏó´«Ã½ team. I look forward to bringing you more on- and off-track adventures here. You can also follow me on .
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