There should still be a couple of times when they get caught out though, and wet conditions will be especially difficult as a grand prix car is tough to drive in the wet without the technical aids.

Last year, we were lucky enough to have a very close battle between Ferrari and McLaren - and between the four drivers at those teams. From winter testing, I think things are looking very similar, especially with the top two.

It is still Ferrari with the pace and the reliability, while McLaren have got the speed as well, but maybe are not quite so consistent.

Kimi comes in as the man to beat and he will be looking to go for title number two. He should be a more relaxed because he has done what he has set out to do and that is win the world title. It is on his CV and he starts the year as the best driver in the world.

On that basis, it should give him more confidence. He won't be as frustrated and I expect to see a bit more from him.

Despite that though, he is going to be pushed hard by Felipe Massa and both will have good cars.

I am still tipping Felipe for the title incidentally. He really looks like he has that competitive edge back and he will tell Ferrari: 'Look, I have been around a while now and I think I can get the world championship'.

He is ready and has matured a great deal and the support from Ferrari will be there. He has played a supporting role for Michael Schumacher and for Raikkonen in some respects over last season. The time is right. The hunger value is there and he has settled down now in life. He has got married and he has got some stability. He has got everything going for him.

Whether we see the fight early on from McLaren, I am not sure. Ron Dennis' men might be a little bit adrift from what we have seen from testing but, as always, you never really know until the first race.

Lewis, though, is going to be improved because he knows what is going to be coming at him this year. He has got a season of experience and knows what to expect and what not to expect.

He goes into all the circuits now - except for those ones that are new to everybody - understanding what they are all about. He knows how a grand prix team ticks and he knows what he needs to do to get the most out of them. He knows what mistakes he made last year and he should be much stronger.

It just depends on whether he has got the car and what other distractions he has had going on throughout the winter.

The spy row is still rumbling on with the legal investigation in Italy, and that is a concern. As big as McLaren is, everybody is feeling the impact of what is, and has been, happening to them.