Verstappen started from pole but failed to finish in Melbourne in 2024, limping out with smoke billowing from a brake fire. It was a minor aberration for the Dutchman, who recovered from a slight hiccup just after mid-season to go on to clinch a fourth world title with two races to spare ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris.

A bombshell move to Ferrari after a glorious 12-year spell at Mercedes has rejuvenated the 40-year-old, who is eager to apply the lessons learned from 162 laps of testing at Bahrain last month to race conditions.

Lewis Hamilton’s relationship with his new Ferrari team was pressure tested in Australia, where he finished a disappointing 10th on debut, and was frustrated by a bad strategy that cost him a potential victory,