Few then would have anticipated that, within a matter of months, 2003 would be the most riveting season in two decades, injecting new energy into the sport. Sixteen race wins spread over eight drivers and five different constructors was the best set of numbers since 1985. Poles were shared between six different men, fastest laps likewise. Apart from Michael Schumacher, who scored six wins, five poles and five fastest laps, no one else took more than two wins, or three poles, or three fastest laps.

In terms of sheer drama, few seasons have had as many twists. Track conditions, driver and team form, and the hand of fortune changed from race to race. No one combination had the key to consistent championship-winning performance. With two races to go, Schumi in the Ferrari, Kimi Raikkonen in the McLaren and Juan-Pablo Montoya in the Williams were all realistic title aspirants. Not for a long time have we had championship contenders from three different teams all by virtue of their genuine competitiveness.

The question, though, was whether or not one could attribute the success of 2003 to the pre-season rule changes. In some ways, decidedly no. One-lap qualifying did not shuffle grids drastically or affect race results too much. The Parc Fermé rule between race and qualifying had no affect on reliability, which in fact, astonishingly, improved compared to 2002. It was unclear if Friday testing had been a major advantage, and reduced free practice time did not, for example, hurt a newcomer like Cristiano da Matta, clearly rookie of the year.

But in other ways, the new rules did contribute to the excitement of the season. The new points system, whilst undoubtedly disadvantageous to race winners, kept the title race tight and, significantly, provided a fairly accurate indicator of the midfield teams' relative positions. Plus the fact that the regulations placed renewed emphasis on the human element meant that the pressure on all involved had unconsciously increased, and no team or driver could say that they came away from 2003 without some glaring errors.

In short, Schumacher clinched his sixth drivers' title, and Ferrari its fifth straight constructors' crown, both unprecedented achievements. But without doubt this was the least imperious of Michael's championships, and more than ever the next generation began knocking on his door. Although they had long been ordained as the trio of heir apparents, Raikkonen, Montoya and Fernando Alonso confirmed their status, whilst Mark Webber proved himself not incapable of also fighting for future glory.

At least half the teams, notably Williams, Renault, BAR, Toyota and Jaguar, made or looked like making significant steps forward, which bodes well for those hoping that the Ferrari reign might finally be brought to an end at some stage in the near future. However, several major or formerly major players faltered. McLaren's failure to get the radical MP4/18 ready was one of the talking points of the year, whilst surely one of the saddest sights of 2003 was the fall and fall of Jordan towards tail-ender status.

Indeed, for all the positives to emerge from the 2003 season, there are still some lingering concerns as the testing for 2004 begins. Attendances at races were still down as prices skyrocketed. The domination of manufacturers and financial shareholders gradually made the position of privateer teams more and more precarious, leading to ever uglier politicking in the Piranha Club. And with further rule changes for 2004, some bleedingly unnecessary and damaging, one wondered if the formula for success in 2003 was about to be spoilt.

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