Red Bull have unveiled their new car with which Sebastian Vettel will bid to become just the third driver in history to win three consecutive Drivers' world titles in 2012 - the RB8.
In an online 'reveal' on the team's official website of the most eagerly anticipated new car of the winter, the latest creation from renowned designer Adrian Newey follows the 2012 trend of incorporating the already infamous 'boxer's nose' into the design to comply with the new lower nose-height regulations.
However, in characteristic Newey fashion, the slope on the RB8's nose appears on first inspection slightly different and more graceful to many of the other cars which have featured the same stepped look so far.
Intriguingly, it means that the one 'pretty car' unveiled so far, McLaren's MP4-27, is very much unique in not featuring the 'stepped' concept.
Given last year's RB7 won 12 races and claimed pole position at every grand prix bar one, and the team have been winning consistently since F1's regulations were overhauled in 2009, the new challenger unsurprisingly otherwise appears more familiar to its predecessor - although, as with any Newey creation, the devil is usually in the detail.
Newey himself says the car is evolutionary, although admits the effective ban on blown diffusers for 2012 has led to a "big re-think" at the car's rear given the RB7 was built around the concept of lowly-exiting exhausts. He concedes the change could hurt them more than most.
"It's the fourth evolution of the RB5 this year, so obviously the pressure is to try and stay there if we possibly can," he said.
"It's a difficult task, we have lost the exhaust technology with the restriction exhaust outlet position that we were able to develop and perhaps be ahead of the pack on in the last couple of years, that led to a big re think over the winter.
"Whether that will affect us more than other people is difficult to know of course. We designed the RB7, last year's car, around that exhaust position and were probably the only people to do so, so it may be that we've lost more than other people through that. Only time will tell, it will be good to get out to do some testing and to see where we get to."
RBR's chief technical officer conceded the drooping nose wasn't particularly aesthetically pleasing, but was a necessity given the regulation change in this area.
"We've kept more or less the same chassis shape, but had to drop the nose just in front of the front bulkhead, which, in common with many other teams, has led us to I think I'd probably say a slightly ugly looking nose," he said.
"We've tried to style it as best we can, but it's not a feature you would choose to put in were it not for the regulation."
Having won both world titles in each of the past two seasons, team principal Christian Horner says the objectives for 2012 are therefore obvious but feels there is still room for improvement - which he suspects they will need to deliver anyway in anticipation of renewed competition from their rivals.
"The team's goals are quite simple. It's to try and defend both titles in the manner (in which) we achieved them," he said.
"Of course, when you've achieved what we have, particularly in 2011, we've set a very high standard for ourselves. But, we're always looking to improve, we're always looking, in all areas, to try and do better. We can't control what our opponents do, we're up against some formidable opponents, but we can only really focus on ourselves and only when we get to Melbourne will we truly know where we sit against our rivals."
World champion Vettel, meanwhile, enters the new season looking to join Juan-Manuel Fangio and, his great friend and countryman, Michael Schumacher in winning three or more F1 championships on the spin.
But although he put together one of the most dominant seasons in history last year, Vettel is under no illusions about the likelihood of repeating the same level of supremacy again.
Asked for what his 2012 target is, he replied: "Well to do it again! Obviously we had a great year and I think we will always look back to 2011 and think how special it was.
"But to be honest you don't start a season having expectations to have the same or similar season again. We know how special it was and we really enjoyed that, but we know how hard it is to be that consistent, to be nearly every race on the podium.
"The target is obviously to try to do it again and try to get everything out of ourselves. So we will see how we get on with the new car, RB8."
Team-mate Mark Webber stays on at Red Bull for a sixth straight season bidding to recapture the form that took him so close to the 2010 championship after winning just one race last time round.
The 35-year-old Australian acknowledges the front of the grid is more competitive than ever at the moment, but feels motivated to hit the ground running from the off this time.
"I think off the back of last year many sportsmen or women when you don't get the most out of a situation you always want to come back and improve and do a better job," Webber said.
"The bar has been lifted very, very high in the last few seasons and it's the challenge I'm looking forward to. I've had a really good winter and prepared for the season as best I can so I'm looking forward to the new season, I just cannot wait to get racing. We can talk a lot about it but we need to get on the track."
