Ferrari could hardly have responded better to their Melbourne disaster and the inevitable Italian press mauling that followed.
They always insisted that Australia was just an early stumble, and that the "real Ferrari" would return for Sepang.
It certainly did. A dominant one-two in opening practice, despite Kimi Raikkonen bizarrely running out of fuel in the first half-hour, set the tone for a weekend in which the red cars always had plenty in hand over their rivals.
Will Alonso's Indy failure end the age of versatility? Fernando Alonso has become something of a motorsport all-rounder in recent years. But his failure - along with McLaren - to qualifying for the 2019 Indianapolis 500 might warn current Formula 1 drivers off similar exploits. That would be a mistake F1
In the shadow of Suzuka - F1's fractious 500th race Formula 1 reached its half-millenium reeling from the ultimate demonstration of Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost's mutual disdain in the previous race. A plucky win for a veteran past champion at least provided some light relief in 1990's Adelaide race F1
Arrows' heartbreak and a wild finish - F1's 300th GP The 300th world championship race came just as the ground effect aero revolution was about to explode. Eventual champion Lotus did win the 1978 South African Grand Prix, but it's best remembered as the race Arrows should've won F1
Senna hogs the headlines, Lauda's key win - F1's 400th GP The 400th world championship race was the first with an all turbocharged field. It took place amid rising concerns about the ultra-powerful cars' speeds and Ayrton Senna began to dominate paddock talk. It also effectively decided the 1984 title F1
What the first look at 2021's F1 aero rules tells us As well as learning a new circuit to Formula 1, several teams used their Portuguese GP practice running to try out new aero concepts ahead of rule changes for next year - providing an interesting first insight into what 2021 F1 cars will look like F1
The pre-race call that gave Hamilton the edge at Portimao Lewis Hamilton seized Formula 1's all-time win record with victory in a tricky Portuguese Grand Prix for Mercedes. He went wheel-to-wheel with Valtteri Bottas and won out, but a pre-qualifying decision was key to gaining a decisive advantage F1
Why history risks repeating itself for Mercedes' star F1 junior Speculation linking Sergio Perez with Williams next year will make for uncomfortable reading for George Russell. Despite his consistently strong showings, a precedent from 2018 suggests holding onto his seat may not be a straightforward matter F1
Why a decades-old tradition had to be curtailed The controversial 'party modes', outlawed by the FIA this season, represent the peak of a development curve which began many years ago - but it was right to put an end to it, says PAT SYMONDS F1
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