The Formula 1 winter testing season was dominated by the Scuderia-based Ferrari, with Felipe Massa coming out on top. Kimi Raikkonen, though behind his team-mate, made a steady start to his campaign at Ferrari. McLaren, BMW and Honda got headlines for their testing results, but it all comes down to doing well when it matters.

What can be taken as a hint for the 2007 season was the pace set by Ferrari. Kimi showed blistering pace in the final qualifying session for Sunday's Australian Grand Prix and grabbed pole, leaving the McLarens of two-time world champion Fernando Alonso and rookie Lewis Hamilton behind. He steered the race from start to finish, pushing hard, beating his own lap records and winning on his debut for the Italian  giants.

Massa did exceptionally well, running through the back field for the entire race and finishing a creditable sixth after starting 16th. Ferrari set the pace in practice and then faced a problem with Massa's gearbox during the second qualifying stint. He was further pushed back to start from the back, as Ferrari did not take chances and changed his engine. The change in strategy to one pit-stop helped him on his way, signifying how comfortable Ferrari were with their experience with Bridgestone.

The other two teams to show ominous signs for the future were most definitely Mercedes McLaren and BMW. The former is already considered a prime contender for this year's championship and the comfort with which Alonso has slipped into his new team must have calmed their nerves after not being able to grab a championship since 1999. The form and maturity of Hamilton and his intent to match and lead Alonso for much of the race must be relieving. As well as having two drivers on the podium at the first race of the season, it  augurs well with their preparations.

BMW were the surprise package. Considered outsiders to the big three of Ferrari, McLaren and Renault, Nick Hiedfeld and Robert Kubica outclassed the Renault drivers, though they did not look capable of challenging the other two just yet. But such a start would have given them enough motivation and they should definitely be a force to reckon with by the end of the season.

The teams to disappoint were Renault and Honda. Giancarlo Fisichella is a driver who lacks the extra bite to drive his team along to win a Grand Prix, never mind a championship, and Heiki Kovalainen did not make you turn and take notice of his arrival in Formula 1.

Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello looked as if they had lost their orientation and were too involved in being environmental friendly than to do the job they are here for. Super Aguri's controversial chassis lending from Honda did raise eyebrows with the performances of Takuma Sato and Anthony Davidson, but their race speed was well below par. But I am looking forward to improvements from Toyota after a below-par performance, though they managed to have both drivers in the top 10.

The real question, though, is who will win the battle between McLaren and Ferrari? Ferrari have a win and McLaren lead the constructors table after the first Grand Prix. It surely is early to predict and it could be the BMWs topping the charts come Sepang and Bahrain back-to-back next month.

What are your thoughts on the first Grand Prix of the season? We want to hear from you at Sportingo.