Following Lewis Hamilton's comfortable victory in Australia a fortnight ago, Mercedes' rivals will be intent on reeling in the defending World Champion and team-mate Nico Rosberg at Sunday's Malaysia Grand Prix, while simply making the grid will represent a minor triumph for others.
Hamilton - on the verge of agreeing a new contract ahead of his 150th Grand Prix - began the defence of his title by leading home Rosberg at Albert Park, with Sebastian Vettel, who finished more than 30 seconds adrift of the Mercedes duo, rounding off the podium on his Ferrari debut.
Only 15 cars started the season-opener, as Valtteri Bottas, Kevin Magnussen and Daniil Kvyat all failed to make the grid, and Manor's cars remained stationary in their garage for the entire weekend.
Williams' Bottas was forced to withdraw with a back injury, while McLaren's Magnussen and Kvyat of Red Bull suffered engine trouble before the race got under way.
Fernando Alonso - replaced by Magnussen - also sat out the Melbourne race to continue his recovery from concussion on a dismal weekend for McLaren and new engine supplier Honda, who also saw Jenson Button finish last of 11 finishers.
Plenty, then, for everyone to prove at the second round of the 2015 Formula One season.
AROUND THE PADDOCK
Alonso is due to undergo an FIA medical assessment on Thursday but is confident of returning to action this weekend, while Bottas has also declared himself fit for Sepang.
Manor team principal John Booth has issued assurances they will do everything in their power to feature after facing an FIA investigation for not running in Australia, raising hopes the field could return to a full complement.
Red Bull, meanwhile, have become embroiled in a war of words with engine supplier Renault over their poor performance, while team principal Christian Horner was told to stop "moaning" by Mercedes boss Toto Wolff following suggestions the Silver Arrows' dominance was not "healthy" for F1.
Sauber will be keen to build on a promising display in Australia after resolving their dispute with Giedo van der Garde, which overshadowed their build-up to the season-opener.
PRE-RACE SOUNDBITES
"Winning the first race is just one small step in a long journey and I'm not reading anything into it. The next step is Malaysia and that's all I've been focusing on since we left Melbourne." - Lewis Hamilton.
"After the disappointment of not meeting our objectives in Australia, we head to Malaysia this week hoping for a more typical race weekend." - John Booth.
"Malaysia will be another tricky step in the learning process for us. It's often an unpredictable race and the extreme temperatures will test our car and tyres to limits that they haven't been exposed to yet in testing." - Jenson Button.
THE CIRCUIT
Sepang has been a permanent fixture on the F1 calendar since debuting in 1999 and is instantly recognisable by its two long straights linked by a hairpin.
Drivers will spend a high percentage of each lap at full throttle, placing strain on the engines, while the unpredictable Malaysian climate serves up further challenges.
WEATHER FORECAST
Malaysia has been responsible for some of F1's most spectacular weather in recent years, with the 2009 race abandoned after 31 laps due to torrential rain and half-points awarded.
With year-round temperatures averaging more than 30 degrees and rain forecast for Sunday, the weekend promises to serve up another testing Grand Prix for all involved.
GRAND PRIX GOLD
One of the more memorable moments to have occurred at Sepang happened in 2013, when Sebastian Vettel ignored Red Bull team orders to snatch victory from team-mate Mark Webber. The Australian led following the final pit stops, with the drivers told to hold their positions. However, Vettel overtook Webber with 13 laps remaining, much to the ire of his team-mate.