he smouldering tyre sat stacked on top of another behind the Red Bull garage, the stench wafting up past the flutes and canapés of Albert Park’s corporate hospitality above. Its demise disappointing for fans of Max Verstappen, but a source of optimism for the rest of the Formula One field.

It was on lap three of race three of the 2024 season that Red Bull’s aura of invincibility burst. Verstappen had won nine straight races and when he streaked off from pole looked likely to make it 10. That would also have been three from three in 2024.

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But within minutes he had complained on the radio he had “lost the car” as smoke billowed from his rear right. Moments later he was in the pits, a fire extinguisher dulling the flames.