Is Daniel Ricciardo Australia's Next World Champion?

For years now he's been either the best of the rest or not far off that.

But could this be the year that Aussies staying up late in front of the TV on a Sunday night are finally rewarded for their loyalty?

Some say YES.

Call the true believers crazy, but Daniel Ricciardo's best chance of being crowned the king of the world's most elite motorsport category could be this year.

Why you ask?

It's all in the rules.

Sweeping changes to the regulations have lifted the aerodynamic restrictions teams used to have live under.

It's aimed at swinging more of the competitive focus away from the engine - which allowed Mercedes to dominate as much as they have - and back towards the chassis - which Red Bull are known for.

But the catch - oh yes, there is one - is that the changes might not make much difference.

Wider cars and tyres leads to more drag meaning you'll need more horsepower than before.

While their testing form was strong, Red Bull didn't exactly light up the timesheets.

Ricciardo's remaining cautious - but confident.

"I would say we're not the quickest as we stand here today," he said on the final day in Barcelona.

"Can we be the quickest? I think we can. Will it be by Melbourne? To be seen ...

Whatever the case, it's clear Red Bull will do their homework to extract as much speed as they can out of the package they've got.

"We could be a bit better in both ... I feel like it's there ... we just have to understand it [the car] a bit better."

Last year the team produced what was arguably the best car on the grid with one of the worst engines.

But this year Renault have worked hard make up the 50hp deficit to the benchmark Mercedes by introducing a completely redesigned engine.

For his part, Danny Ric's been working harder than he ever has on his fitness to ensure he'll be in peak condition when the lights go green on Sunday.

The other motivation is to beat his highly-rated Dutch team-mate, teenager Max Verstappen who'll only get better with every season.

While no one is expecting Red Bull to come out and dominate from the opening race of the season, there is a sense the tide is turning.

And if that's true, then Merc's Lewis Hamilton will spend a lot more time looking in his rear view mirror.