Fifty years ago on Sunday, the Lotus 49 appeared in public for the first time. Had you been present at the Dutch Grand Prix that weekend, it would not have seemed credible that this was the debut of a car, and particularly an engine, capable of rewriting F1 history. Low key does not make a start.
When Mercedes and Ferrari arrived in Spain to begin the European sector of the current season, every additional aerodynamic nuance, no matter how tiny, was recorded, examined and discussed in mind-numbing detail. No surprise, perhaps, because these two teams are championship contenders.