Formula One's 18-race odyssey looks like being a long haul for those who had believed they had stolen a march over Ferrari during the close season.
The champions' runaway success - their fourth in five years in Melbourne - made a mockery of claims that the dream team was in for a nightmare season.
Michael Schumacher's declaration of intent for 2004 was a devastating attack on the opposition who were playing catch-up from the moment F1's leading man shot to the top of the timesheets during Friday practice.
Of the much fancied pretenders to Schumacher's crown, McLaren were the most seriously wounded.
Their new car has been running since last November - the longest build-up of any team - but it failed Kimi Raikkonen in its first true test after just nine laps in Melbourne.
And Schumacher's admission that he was slowing down well before the finish was a slap in the face for Renault and Williams, who did last the distance.
 |  The new Saturday double header qualifying session is a shambles |
After the advances made in 2003, when the sport regained much-needed credibility, 2004's opener bears all the hallmarks of 2002 revisited, when Ferrari crushed the competition. And yet - rewind to the Australian Grand Prix 12 months ago when Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello spreadeagled the field by more than a second in the new one-lap qualifying format.
Schumacher was off the line like a rocket in the fastest car in the race. New rules, same old story.
He failed to win only because Ferrari failed to read the rain and made the wrong tyre choices.
David Coulthard was acclaimed as a worthy winner in F1's new world and the applause continued while Schumacher struggled over the next two races.
But Ferrari's superiority was evident even if it was not reflected in their points total.
 Stoddart believes qualifying is dangerous |
This time, the red front row was only half a second faster in qualifying and the conditions played perfectly for them. The hottest race in the world in Malaysia in a fortnight should offer a very different slant on the prospects for the Michelin runners like Williams, Renault and Renault.
If Ferrari and Bridgestone fly to victory again, then the rest really could be doomed.
Already F1 has taken two wrong turns this season.
The new Saturday double header qualifying session is a shambles.
Fans shortchanged
It has reduced Friday to nothing and offers the spectators zero entertainment until the final moments when pole position is at last up for grabs after nearly two hours of single laps.
Publicly Michael Schumacher described it as "not interesting". Privately he has admitted it is a disaster.
Minardi's Paul Stoddart claims it is dangerous because the two-minute break compromises safety.
Three cars failed to take part in the second half in Melbourne - hardly value for money for people paying to watch the fastest cars in the world.
Team principals need to rethink their decision to make a change.
Bernie Ecclestone's suggestion is for a one-hour session, where each driver would have 12 laps, as was the custom until 2003.
The session would be divided in two, with drivers forced to run six laps in each half.
 Schumacher's rivals are playing catch-up |
Television companies will be reviewing their coverage this week and may consider not showing the first half of the current format.
Even if a driver had suffered an engine failure and a 10-place demotion down the grid, the world would not have woken up.
As it is, the one engine rule is never going to save money. The teams are spending massively to claw back the performance. At some time this season, engines will be as powerful as they were last year.
The rule favours reliability. And guess which team enjoys the best record?
Michael Schumacher says he has nothing to win any more. But his team and his rivals show few signs of forcing him break the habit.
MMIX
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