Jonathan Noble: Off Line

You could say that heroic British Formula 1 drivers are a bit like buses. You wait years for one to come along, and then suddenly two arrive at once.

In Melbourne there was no doubt that the man of the moment was Lewis Hamilton, whose sensational debut points towards a fantastic future and inevitably a new British love affair with the sport.

But at the other end of the paddock, away from the hordes of media and fans desperate for a glimpse of F1's new 'megastar', Anthony Davidson was a hero in Australia - from the moment he hit the track on Friday until he left it on a stretcher on Sunday night.

After years out of the mainstream spotlight, pounding the test tracks of Europe for BAR/Honda, Davidson's big break finally arrived thanks to Honda's B-team, Super Aguri. It may not be the official start of his career, but it is the beginning of his proper one.

And while 12 months ago Aguri Suzuki's outfit achieved a miracle just to be on the grid, this year things are very different.

As an updated version (although Colin Kolles may debate this point) of last year's Honda RA106, Super Aguri's SA07 is a very well-sorted machine with a competitive engine. Add two decent drivers into the mix and suddenly F1's newboys are putting some heat under the collar of the more established manufacturers - including Honda.

Right from the start of free practice, it became clear that Davidson and team-mate Takuma Sato were no longer driving a car that is permanently pegged to the back of the field. In fact, as the free practice sessions developed, the pair got stronger and stronger - so much so that Davidson went P4 in the final free practice session before qualifying.

Even at that stage the team was downplaying its chances, insisting it would not make a big impression in qualifying - especially with the modern knockout format.

So, when Davidson only just missed out on accompanying Sato to Q3, it came as a complete shock to everyone involved. Throughout the winter, Super Aguri had not even considered making preparations for the final fuel-heavy qualifying session.

"It was like they'd won pole after Taku came in having got through to Q3," said Davidson, smiling. "Apparently, someone said on the radio, 'Okay guys, we're through to Q3. Let's just go out there and copy what everybody else does. We'll come in when they come in because we've never done this before.'"

The joy of qualifying was slightly tempered on Sunday, though, when Davidson's anti-stall mechanism kicked in on the grid and left him stranded at the start. As he tried to recover, he tangled with Spyker's Adrian Sutil and his car landed heavily after being pitched into the air.

That impact winded Davidson and jarred his back - but he did not let the team know anything about it. These were minor details; he was there to race. The team just thought that the breathlessness they could hear over the radio was because of poor reception.

Having retired from his three previous grand prix starts, Davidson bravely battled on in his damaged car to take the chequered flag, in 16th place and two laps down. "I wasn't going to not finish another grand prix," said Davidson through gritted teeth as he returned to his team's offices.

As the adrenaline wore off, though, the pain in his back increased - so much so that the paramedics were called. He was stretchered away to an ambulance and then whisked to hospital for precautionary checks.

It was certainly not the way he had wanted to celebrate his first grand prix finish, and his driving may have been largely ignored by those solely focused on what Hamilton was doing. But it was a gritty performance every bit as worthy as the number two McLaren driver's. Britain should be proud.