"You can't polish a turd." Hardly the most elegant of motor racing cliches, I know, but very much a truism. It means simply that if your car is a shed in January, you are not going to be fighting for the world championship come October.
Even in these days of constant testing and development it generally holds true. But Honda have got the Brasso out and are trying hard. Last year's car was hardly the most user-friendly of tools at the start of the season, but it was turned into something that at least gave Jenson Button a decent second half of the year and allowed him to win his first race in Hungary, with a bit of help from the elements.
I remember Nick Fry at Honda's Christmas bash relating how he'd enjoyed pointing out to Ron Dennis that his team won more races than McLaren in 2006. Not something he's likely to be able to do this time around...
It's as if the good Lord had a sense of humour: 'Good effort with RA106 chaps, now have a go with this!' And, voila, the RA107...