Jenson Button thinks Formula 1 fans are going to be amazed by the amount of passing in the Australian Grand Prix as drivers struggle to look after their tires in the closing stages of the race.
Amid growing excitement about the impact that Pirelli's new tires are going to have on the racing, Button thinks that the stage is set for the final laps in particular to produce real thrills.
"I think you will see so much overtaking in the last stint here that it will shock everyone," declared Button. "It is going to go to the last corner in this race, which is great. I don't know if all of the races will be like that, but this one will because we don't understand the tires yet."
Button believes that the key to victory will be in looking after the tires in the final stage of the race, when drivers will have to ensure that their tires stay in good shape until the checkered flag.
"For me, the last stint is important to look after the tires – the first two or three not so much because the important thing, as everyone knows, is to stop one lap before everyone else. If you do that, you will overtake them because you will put new tires on and go three seconds per lap quicker. It will be an interesting one.
"The main thing is who is going to be brave enough to stop the earliest, because you might think you have made a lot of ground up after the first stop, but you could lose it all again on the last stop or last stint. It is a balancing act and it is going to take a few races to work out what the best strategy is."