Formula 1 has set itself up for a strong future with the all-new 2022 regulations.
Bahrain was the opening round of the sport’s new era, with former driver, GPDA director and motorsport consultant Alex Wurz declaring: "I am 100 percent convinced it will bring the teams closer together in the long term."
"Firstly because of the aerodynamics and secondly because of the budget limit."
However, Sunday demonstrated that the pecking order has dramatically shifted, with Ferrari powered teams surging, the formerly dominant Mercedes struggling, and established upper midfielder McLaren in the doldrums.
"In the short term, things could diverge because one person has read the regulations better than the other," Wurz acknowledges to Kronen Zeitung newspaper.
"But that will be put into perspective in the second or third season at the latest," the Austrian added. "The basis for a great sport has been laid."
Wurz, 48, said the diversity of concepts evident on the teams’ respective 2022 cars was impressive, but insisted that "only the stopwatch tells the truth".
As for claims that Max Verstappen may struggle to back up his world championship breakthrough with another title, Wurz answered: "I like to take the words of Niki Lauda.
"He said ’After your first title, everything is much easier. Nothing more to prove and focus on the here and now’. That is the case with Max.
"And with Lewis, I think the Abu Dhabi story just gives him extra inspiration. So I see it as exciting."