Virtually every winter sees predictions that the forthcoming Formula One season will be more open than the last, and will feature a spectacular title fight between several evenly-matched teams.
And virtually every spring, this optimism is crushed when the pacesetting team leave their opposition gasping in the opening rounds of the championship.
But if the 2006 Bahrain Grand Prix is a genuine reflection of what this season has in store, then perhaps the optimists will finally get their wish.