As he looks to make a successful star in Australia this weekend, the Red Bull driver Sebatian Vettel named his car Abbey. It is the fourth consecutive season that the German driver has named his car having driver Kinky Kylie to 11 victories last year, Luscious Liz to claim his first world title in 2010 and Kate in his first year with Red Bull.

When asked if he had named this year's RB8 model after either The Beatles song or the chicane at the Silverstone track, Vettel said: "Neither. It's just a cool name." And that cool name turned to be Abbey.

While Vettel is understandably favourite to open the Formula One season with a victory at Albert Park on Sunday, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has said that this season more than last represents a much tougher challenge for the 24-year-old.

The return to the grid of Kimi Raikkonen after a two-year sabbatical, however, has resulted in the tantalising prospect of five former world champions, not to mention a string of young pretenders, fighting to deny Vettel a title hat-trick.

"This season looks like a stellar year for Formula One with six world champions. It's unprecedented," said Horner. "The quality of the field is phenomenal. I think it's going to be a really exciting season.