They say it's 'only testing', that you cannot read too much into what is going on and that no one really knows where they are relative to everyone else in Formula 1. 'We won't know until we get to Saturday afternoon in Melbourne', they cry.
They are right, but nobody wants to wait that long. The modern world is impatient and thirsty for information. We want to know now!
Formula 1 has spent eight of the past 12 days pounding around Barcelona's Catalunya circuit, and although it was 'only testing' we can start to build a picture of where the various teams stand as they prepare to head to Australia.