And yet, after 56 laps of chaos, on the final trip around Melbourne’s Albert Park Circuit it was all about those two again.
Lando Norris had led the majority of the race from pole but, as he sped towards the chequered flag, there was an ominous and familiar sight in his mirrors.
But the Red Bull of Max Verstappen failed to stop the Brit from winning the first race of the year — the fifth victory of his F1 career.
"Not everything is about the car — today was a deserved win because we made good decisions as a team,” said Norris.
That includes the 25-year-old himself, who made victory in one of the most treacherous races of his career look easy.
Norris famously threw away a maiden F1 win at Sochi in 2021 with a botched tyre decision and then panicked behind the wheel when a late rain shower swept in off the Black Sea.
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