The time always comes when dominant forces in grand prix racing are toppled. After steamrollering the opposition over the past four years, Red Bull goes into a season in the most uncertain shape since it emerged as a race-winning force in 2009.
On pre-season testing form, retaining the world championship is inconceivable. But this is Red Bull and it has set new standards in recent years. Write off Adrian Newey's squad at your peril.
As Sebastian Vettel has pointed out during pre-season testing, the unnerving thing about this situation is that he has no idea how good the car really is.