Jenson Button qualified third for the season's first Grand Prix, second for its second, first for its third, and second for its fourth. And if his race results in Bahrain, Malaysia, Australia and San Marino weren't quite as splendid as his one-lap work - he finished fourth at Sakhir, third at Sepang, tenth at Albert Park and seventh at Imola - then they were a dream compared with what he went on to record in the next four Grands Prix.
At Nurburgring, Button qualified sixth and failed to finish; at Barcelona, he qualified eighth and finished sixth; at Monaco, he qualified 13th and finished 11th; and at Silverstone. he qualified 19th and failed to finish. Moreover, as those stats suggest, the trend is an inexorably and relentlessly downward one.
Clearly, having now started 108 Grands Prix (the same as Elio de Angelis, and more than Bruce McLaren or Jackie Stewart)... and having racked up ten front-row qualifying performances (the same as Keke Rosberg, and more than Phil Hill or Peter Collins), of which three were pole positions (the same as Jody Scheckter, and more than Jo Siffert or John Watson)... and having stood on 13 podiums (the same as Gilles Villeneuve, and more than Stefan Johansson or Chris Amon)... and having scored 183 world championship points (the same as no-one, but more than Jacky Ickx, Rene Arnoux, John Surtees, Mario Andretti or James Hunt), Jenson ain't no mug.
No, he is now in his seventh season of Formula One and remains a fabulously fast driver, possessed of remarkable natural finesse.