Will new rules favour Rosberg over Hamilton?

As pre-season testing edges towards its conclusion, it's not hard to see just why Mercedes has emerged as favourite to be battling for victory when the lights go out at the Australian Grand Prix.

The speed and reliability of those silver cars from Brackley has left the team in the driving seat - even though the threat from McLaren is real and we have not yet seen what Ferrari is truly capable of.

But if the winter preparations appear to be ending with some pretty handy hints about the competitive order at the front, and no one will be surprised if Mercedes does indeed come out on top in Melbourne, that growing consensus about form is actually opening up a prospect that could be even more mouth-watering.

For one of the biggest debates raging among onlookers right now is that if this does turn into the year of Mercedes, then which of its drivers is going to benefit the most from the 2014 regulations?

Will Lewis Hamilton's blistering natural speed and sensational racing instinct be enough to overcome the more astute Nico Rosberg, who could well use clever strategy to out-think his rival to gain the upper hand?

The days when natural talent alone was enough to guarantee victory are long gone. Tyre management has put paid to that in recent years, and the new 2014 fuel restrictions mean there will be no way a driver can simply jump in the car, drive it as flat-out as he can and hope that he gets to the chequered flag first.

Might Rosberg out-think the faster Hamilton? © LAT

There is now a premium on powerplant energy management. There will even be the need to play the long game, to perhaps drive slowly in the opening stages of the race to keep some extra fuel back for the end, when the wick can be turned up to snatch positions.

This early fuel save/late-race boost scenario is one that could be very real Down Under because Melbourne is one of the toughest tracks on fuel consumption. There will be a need to keep an eye on economy.

If Mercedes is indeed ahead, then it is not too hard to imagine Hamilton wringing the neck out of the car to take pole position, with Rosberg lining up right behind him.

The early laps could then feature the pair circulating at the front, but with Rosberg cleverly burning less fuel each time past the pits.

Having built up a surplus of fuel that would allow him to run at maximum power for an overtaking boost, Rosberg picks his moment near the end to snatch the lead and take the victory - with Hamilton powerless to defend as he has nothing left in reserve.

Could it really happen that way?

Rosberg certainly has the intelligence and application needed to be able to think through every such scenario that could help him triumph, but everything will of course depend on just how much of a fuel-consumption benefit a pursuing car will have over the man ahead.

The potential is there for a fascinating new dynamic thanks to the impact of the fuel regulations. Will clever driving and a more considered approach be a better thing to have in 2014 than out-and-out speed?

Let's not forget that it was that long-game tactic that Niki Lauda put to such devastating effect in 1984 to beat the quicker Alain Prost to the title. And look where Lauda is now...