Twelve months ago, at his Formula One debut, Lewis Hamilton could walk on to the Melbourne track unnoticed and none of the top F1 drivers knew what to expect from him. But after the most successful rookie season the sport has ever seen, Hamilton arrives this weekend for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix as one of the sport’s top draws, a magnet for fans, media and sponsors.

The eve of the first race is a magical time: everyone is level on points and although most teams have clocked up to 40,000km of testing on their new cars, none have a clear idea of where they stand relative to the opposition. All is just talk, in anticipation of the action.