Eyes will be on the skies on Thursday as the F1 world pushes through the Bahrain paddock gates.
A top of 34 degrees C is forecast in the island Kingdom, which will be music to the ears of those wearing red.
Mercedes bounced back a week ago with a one-two finish, but that was in chilly China. In the searing Malaysian sun, it was Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel who shone brightest.
"We can certainly do something more in the hotter temperatures," the German is quoted by SID news agency ahead of Bahrain, a night race.
Mercedes still has the downforce and power edge, but the reigning world champions have more difficulty than Ferrari in managing the tyres once the temperature rises.
An engineer for the German marque told Auto Motor und Sport: "The next two races in Bahrain and Barcelona could be difficult for us again."
Boss Toto Wolff agrees: "Ferrari will be a danger for us on any circuit where they can use other strategies due to their good tyre management."