Kimi Raikkonen is a mass of contradictions. Mono-syllabic yet charismatic in his own brooding way, 'the Iceman' often gives off the impression that he is not too bothered about racing, yet he is one of the quickest and most successful drivers on the grid.
But the Finn will be a huge threat this year after winning the Australian Grand Prix - his 20th career victory.
Although he started seventh, his Lotus had the pace to power him into a 12-second lead over Ferrari's Fernando Alonso by the chequered flag.
Significantly, tyre wear was also not an issue for the 2007 World Champion even though he produced a srting of fastest laps.
The performance of Lotus was a question mark ahead of the new season with their place in the pecking order unclear.
Step forward
But judging from Melbourne, they have made a significant step forward on an impressive 2012 which saw Raikkonen finish third in the Championship on his return from F1 after two seasons away.
And with a reliable car in 2013 and his hunger intact, the sky is the limit for Raikkonen. Race pace has never been an issue for the supremely quick Finn as he could have won two or three world championships during his career if it was not for a reliability issues during his time at McLaren.
However his chances will depend on the form of his nearest rivals Alonso, Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel.
Alonso seems to possess a Ferrari that is much closer in terms of ultimate pace compared to last year's model which will make him a serious threat as he hunts for a third world title.
The Spaniard has a habit of surpassing the strenghts of his vehicle, similarly to Hamilton who notched a solid fifth on his Mercedes debut. The Briton will be encouraged by the fact that his pace was good, although there will be concerns about the extent of tyre degradation - a problem that afflicted the German manufacturer in 2012.
Meanwhile, it is too early to judge Vettel who also struggled tyre issues. But the reigning triple World Champion was also underwhelming in the early portion of last season as Red Bull continued the development of new aerodynamic packages.
However, it will be Jenson Button who will have a major headache after the pre-season lack of pace manifested itself in qualifying and the race at the Australian Grand Prix as the 2009 World Champion limped home in ninth.
The next Grand Prix takes place in Malaysia's Sepang Grand Prix next weekend. Will Raikkonen come out on top again?
