For the first seven and three quarter days of 2015 Formula 1 winter testing, the team everyone has been striving to catch was refusing to let anyone see where it was putting the goalposts.
While some others were throwing softs, super-softs and qualifying fuel loads at their cars in bids for reassurance, Mercedes pounded round on hards, winter hards and mediums, racking up ominously high lap tallies.
The silver team's swaggering confidence was demonstrated not by blitzing everyone with dominant glory runs, but in feeling comfortable enough to rehearse pitstops while others were still hoping their cars stuck together for a lap. Unusual diversions such as trapped nerves (Nico Rosberg), high fevers (Lewis Hamilton) and spins on cold tyres (Rosberg again) were quickly shrugged off.